Applying Occupational Health Theories to Educational Stress and Health: Evidence from the Effort-Reward Imbalance Model

Abstract

Effort-reward imbalance is a theoretical model of a psychosocial work environment with adverse effects on health and well-being that focuses on a mismatch between high efforts spent and low rewards received in costly social transactions. As this constellation is often experienced among teachers, the model is expected to provide new explanations of stress-related health risks among teachers and to guide the development of preventive measures. The chapter starts by describing the model and its measurement. Importantly, the reward component covers three equally important dimensions of salary, promotion prospects and job security, and esteem or recognition. Moreover, an intrinsic component of effort is included, reflecting the personal pattern of coping with demanding situations termed ‘over-commitment’. Following this, empirical evidence from studies testing the model is reviewed, demonstrating a high prevalence of effort-reward imbalance at work and elevated risks of poor mental health, specifically depression and exhaustion. In the final part, implications of current knowledge for designing and implementing health-conducive school settings and employment conditions are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)