Mental Health and Wellbeing among School Leaders in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Study

Objectives: During the COVID-19 pandemic, school leaders are exposed to many stresses by leading a school to respond to school closures and sudden shifts from in-person to remote learning and teaching. The study aimed to examine the perceived stress and mental health status and the associated factors among school principals and leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design. We collected demographic and mental health data from 259 school principals and leaders in Hong Kong from April 2021 to February 2022. Data on work-related factors, sense of coherence, perceived stress, self-endangering behaviour, work satisfaction and perceived health were collected. Correlation analysis, linear regression models, and independent sample t-test were conducted.

Results: Findings revealed that the perceived stress was moderately negatively correlated with the WHO wellbeing index (r= -.544, p<.01) and sense of coherence (r= -.327, p<.01), while moderately positively correlated with extensification of work (r= .473, p<.01), exhaustion related to work situation (r=.559, p<.01) and psychosomatic complaints (r= .439, p<.01). In a model adjusted for gender and age, participants with higher scores of subjective well-being had a lower score of perceived stress (B, −.031; 95%CI, −0.59, −0.02; p=0.034). School principals and leaders in schools with a larger student population had higher scores of perceived stress (B, .002; 95%CI, .000, 003; p = .030). Finally, school principals and leaders with higher scores in “intensification of work” subscale (SEB) had higher scores of perceived stress (B, 1.497; 95%CI, .717, 2.278; p <0.001). On well-being, school principals and leaders scored higher in sense of coherence (B, 4.20; 95%CI, 1.290, 7.106; p=0.005) had higher scores in WHO wellbeing index. School principals and leaders with higher scores of perceived stress (B, -.734; 95%CI, -1.423, -.044; p=.037), higher scores of “extensification of work” subscale (B, -4.846; 95%CI, -8.543, -1.149; p=.010), higher scores of perceived general health (5 code as very bad) (B, -3.717; 95%CI, -6.753, -.681; p=.017), higher score of exhaustion related to work (B, -10.449; 95%CI, -13.864,-7.033; p=.000).

Conclusions: This study demonstrated that a vast majority (90.1%) of school principals and leaders had a high-stress level. Perceived stress was strongly associated with weekly working hours and higher “intensification of work”. Working as vice principals and assistant principals were predictors in perceived stress. Exhaustion related to work, extensification of work, sense of coherence and perceived general health were significant predictors of well-being of school principals and leaders. The study highlights the need for policies and initiatives aimed at enhancing the well-being of school principals and leaders, as well as the elements that can help them to cope with their stress in Hong Kong school settings.