A third of teachers ‘at risk of clinical depression'
Teacher wellbeing rates have fallen to record new lows with more than a third (36 per cent) at risk of probable clinical depression, a new survey finds.
The Teacher Wellbeing Index 2025, published by the charity Education Support, finds that more than three quarters of education staff feel stressed and a similar proportion experience symptoms of poor mental health due to work.
Researchers measured the subjective wellbeing of education staff using a questionnaire to produce a score on the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale. For the seventh consecutive year, they reported significantly lower wellbeing than the general population: The average wellbeing score for education staff was 43.42 while the overall national score for England was 51.40 this year.
In 2019, the first year the index looked at the wellbeing measure in this way, education staff reported an average score of 44.70.
Even more worryingly, a total of 36 per cent of education staff had a score of less than 41 which indicates “probable clinical depression”, the report says.
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Home » Wellbeing
A third of teachers ‘at risk of clinical depression’
School and college leaders have the highest reported levels of stress, the Education Support survey says
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By SMP Reporter. 18 November 2025
3 minute read
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Teacher wellbeing rates have fallen to record new lows with more than a third (36 per cent) at risk of probable clinical depression, a new survey finds.
The Teacher Wellbeing Index 2025, published by the charity Education Support, finds that more than three quarters of education staff feel stressed and a similar proportion experience symptoms of poor mental health due to work.
Researchers measured the subjective wellbeing of education staff using a questionnaire to produce a score on the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale. For the seventh consecutive year, they reported significantly lower wellbeing than the general population: The average wellbeing score for education staff was 43.42 while the overall national score for England was 51.40 this year.
In 2019, the first year the index looked at the wellbeing measure in this way, education staff reported an average score of 44.70.
Even more worryingly, a total of 36 per cent of education staff had a score of less than 41 which indicates “probable clinical depression”, the report says.
Stressed leaders
School and college leaders reported the highest levels of stress. They also reported working at very high speed and to tight deadlines, for three-quarters or more of the time. A total of 86 per cent of senior leaders feel stressed, with many reporting signs of burnout and exhaustion and 81 per cent feel they have too many things to do without enough time to do them.
A total of 62 per cent say they work at very high speed, and 71 per cent said they work to tight deadlines, for three-quarters or more of the time.
As the findings were published, the charity issued an “urgent call” for Government action.
Sinéad Mc Brearty, chief executive of Education Support said:
“Our ninth index reveals that the people who educate our children are operating under intolerable pressure. Our findings should serve as a wake-up call to Government. We urgently need a national retention strategy that puts staff wellbeing at its core. Without this, more teachers will leave the profession, and more children and young people’s education will suffer.
“While we know that many school and college leaders are working hard to make improvements, those efforts are often isolated, under-supported and lacking consistency across the sector. A retention strategy that prioritises the wellbeing of teachers and education staff, will safeguard the future of our children and young people.”
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said the findings were evidence of “a system in crisis”.
“Teachers and school leaders are overworked, under-supported, and increasingly exposed to stress, anxiety, and burnout. No wonder there is a significant retention issue in the education workforce.
“This is a system in crisis…teacher wellbeing must be a workforce priority. Union representatives should be involved in monitoring workload and wellbeing, and schools need adequate funding and staffing. It’s time to redefine teacher support, ensure proper funding, and protect teachers from stress and burnout.”
The Teacher Wellbeing Index 2025 is the ninth large-scale survey benchmarking the mental health and wellbeing of education professionals in the UK.