Comparing the level of depression and anxiety among female teachers of exceptional and normal schools in Karaj city

Faculty of Educational Sciences and Counseling

Bachelor's Dissertation in the field of Education Management

Abstract

The present study compares the level of depression and anxiety among female teachers of exceptional and normal schools in Karaj city. The statistical population of the present study includes all female primary school teachers in the city of Karaj, of which 105 are exceptional teachers and 273 are regular teachers. Random sampling method is stratified or relative. To collect information, Beck's depression questionnaire and Kettle's anxiety questionnaire were used, which include questions about anxiety and depression. To analyze the information and data in the descriptive part, frequency distribution tables and frequency percentages were used, and in the inferential part, the t-test was used to analyze the research questions. The general findings of the research are: There is a significant relationship between depression and anxiety of female teachers in normal schools. That is, with the increase in anxiety, the depression of ordinary female teachers has also increased. And also there is a significant relationship between depression and anxiety of female teachers of exceptional schools. That is, with the increase in anxiety, the depression of exceptional female teachers has also increased. The results of the survey of anxiety questionnaire scales also indicate that: no significant difference was observed between the level of self-consciousness of female teachers of normal schools and female teachers of schools for exceptional children. There is a significant difference between the number of female teachers in normal schools and schools for exceptional children, so that the number of female teachers in exceptional schools is higher. No significant difference was observed between the tendency towards paranoia of female teachers of normal schools and female teachers of exceptional children's schools. There is a significant difference between the guilt tendency of female teachers of normal schools and schools for exceptional children, so that the tendency of female teachers of exceptional schools to feel guilty is more. There is a significant difference between the level of physical tension of female teachers of normal schools and schools for exceptional children, so that the physical tension of female teachers of exceptional schools is higher.

Key words: depression, anxiety, exceptional children, normal schools, exceptional schools

Introduction

In today's world, emotions, tensions, nervousness and many such factors have bad effects on people's daily lives. Every member of today's society is exposed to various types of stress and nervous conditions. The social life environment, family and everything that a person is related to can lead his life towards crises and worries as a stress factor.

Anxiety, worry, anxiety, worry, apprehension, anxiety, restlessness, confusion and disorder are situations that every person has experienced throughout his life, whether he wants it or not. It can be said with confidence that it is not possible for a human being to live in this world and not experience anxiety (Ma'ani, 2010, p. 61).

It is possible to consider anxiety as a kind of internal pain that causes excitement and upsets the existing balance, and because humans constantly strive to establish balance, so it can be said that anxiety is a strong stimulus. It is possible that this stimulus is harmful and it depends on the degree of fear and the amount and risks that the person faces (Shamlo, 1369, p. 56). 

Depression is also a very common disease that, despite extensive research on its causes, symptoms, and treatment methods, unfortunately, not much attention has been paid to it in most of today's societies, including our own. In the past, the symptoms of depression were attributed to other factors such as nerve weakness, hypochondriacal anger, etc., due to which the correct diagnosis and treatment were delayed (Amant, 1338). This mood swing is relatively constant and lasts for days, weeks, months or years. Depression affects the whole organism and affects all areas of a person's life. This effect can be seen in the emotions, strength, tension, thought and quality of the person's interest.

In psychiatry, depression is considered to be a mood change towards sadness, the most obvious symptom of depression is the depressed mood that may appear to different degrees. In some cases, depressed mood may remain the only symptom of the disease. Anyway, in this disease, all vital functions change according to the depressed mood (Tahiri, 2018, p. 29).

As we know, depression only has symptoms.

As we know, depression does not only have emotional symptoms and can be accompanied by insomnia and anorexia, suicide, feeling worthless and abundant. The limits of depression are sometimes not proportional to the existing situation and sometimes even the person himself is not aware of it (Porafkari, 2014, p. 105).

Today, unwanted stressful experiences determine people's reactions. In this way, when a person receives an unpleasant experience and the stress associated with it, he shows a negative reaction in the form of anxiety, self-doubt, depression, etc. Because in most of the cases, she does not have the ability to deal with problems naturally and maybe she cannot have a correct perception of her situation.

According to the above and similar contexts that are observed in the society, the researcher's goal is to investigate the level of depression and anxiety in female teachers of Karaj schools.

1-2 statement of the problem

Three revolutions have occurred in mental health. The first revolution was led by Pinel, who drew people's attention to mental illness, and Freud created the second revolution by introducing sensual attention into the inner mental life of man. The third revolution, which is currently underway, is called under different names such as community psychology (community psychiatry) and (community mental health) (Qaracha Daghi, 2012, p. 44).

Although the definitions of these terms are different, each of them is a reflection of change. It is gross in the conceptualization of mental illness and its treatment. As in the past, the emphasis of studies is no longer on the sick individual, but rather on the larger society.

One of the goals of the country's higher education system is training in the fields needed by different parts of the society in order to respond to the increasing demand and increase the scientific level of the people of the nation. It is obvious that achieving this goal requires huge investments and the training of committed and specialized human resources. Considering the increase in the number of volunteer teachers in recent years, creating suitable fields and helping them in their academic and professional development and the optimal use of their scientific experiences by society, conducting basic and applied research on the social issues and problems of female teachers and trying to solve them are among the things that can provide the basis for achieving the goals of higher education faster. It is worth mentioning that for the majority of female teachers teaching in schools and scientific centers due to lack of familiarity with the teaching environment, lack of interest in the field of teaching, lack of economic and welfare facilities, there are problems, which in case of severity and female teachers' lack of familiarity with how to deal with them may have caused family, social or neuro-psychological problems and hindered the progress of their careers. Due to the increasing number of exceptional children who have problems due to the many problems that exist in today's life, the teaching staff of schools is one of the most important aspects of education, and of course their physical and mental condition is very important (Karaz, quoted by the prosecutor, 1368, p. 52).

In this research, the anxiety and depression of female teachers of exceptional schools and female teachers of normal schools are examined and compared.

1-3 Importance and necessity of the research

According to the complex relationships of urban life and the multiplicity of tasks and functions of people in society, both in the family and in the work environment and even in group relationships, as well as the existence of various laws, regulations and rules in all areas of these relationships, the conditions and contexts of stress and anxiety are many, and usually all people are somehow and relatively affected by these phenomena.

Among the people who have extensive relationships in society, there are female teachers. Female teachers, considering their many duties and the type of performance, and considering that they must always be accountable to parents, school parents, and students; The possibility of suffering from stress and anxiety in them is increasing. Teaching is not just a job because it is related to people's thoughts, minds and souls. A teacher should put his emotional, family, financial and career problems in the lower layers of his existence and when he enters the classroom, his appearance should be as if everything is perfect. It is obvious that this work cannot be done by every person with knowledge and experience. The problem of stress is raised in all jobs, but in relation to the job of a teacher, stress takes on a special meaning, because a teacher, in addition to the issues and problems that are common to all people, also faces some issues and problems that are only caused by the type of his job. The teacher in the school is faced with issues that exist in few languages