Psychosocial Risks in Non-University Teachers: A Comparative Study between Spain and Mexico on Their Occupational Health

Abstract

Psychosocial risks seem to have a great impact on non-university teachers, giving rise to consequences such as burnout, health problems, and lack of engagement. These consequences result from high levels of stress, caused by an imbalance between demands and resources at work. Socio-cultural differences between Spain and Mexico, such as fewer educational resources and higher job insecurity in Mexico, can lead to a disparity in burnout rates, disproportionately impacting the occupational health in teachers from these countries. Thus, this study aims to (1) analyse psychosocial risks in two samples; (2) evaluate the relationships between demands, resources, and consequences; and (3) study the moderating effect of country on these relationships. Participants were 169 Spanish teachers and 218 Mexican teachers. Results showed that Spanish teachers experienced more role conflict, interpersonal conflict, work overload, and job insecurity. In both countries, work overload was the strongest predictor of burnout and health problems. Engagement was positively influenced by social support and autonomy in both contexts, with autonomy being the strongest predictor in Mexico. The type of country only moderated the relationship between job insecurity and burnout, being stronger in the case of Mexico. These findings provide crucial insights for the development of intervention programs aimed at reducing workload, managing conflicts, and enhancing social support, thus contributing to the social sustainability of the teaching profession.