DCU study finds significant burnout and poor mental health among Irish teachers

Findings of a Dublin City University (DCU) study on teacher occupational wellbeing in Ireland indicates burnout is a significant issue across primary and second-level education sectors. 

The initial findings indicate that a significant proportion of respondents report moderate to high burnout levels, highlighting the urgent need for intervention and support. 86% of teachers who responded reported moderate to high levels of Personal Burnout, while a similar figure (85%) reported experiencing moderate to high levels of Work-Related Burnout.¹

Teachers were asked to record their self-rated mental health over the past year, 28% of respondents rated their mental health as poor or very poor. When asked if they received any training (pre-service or in-service) on managing their personal wellbeing and mental health 83% of participants indicated they had not. When asked to rate their own mental health, 17% of teachers who reported poor/very poor mental health also feel that this has negatively influenced their ability to engage in teaching and learning with pupils.²

Survey results also indicate there are no strong strong correlations between burnout and age, gender, having a child/children or teaching experience. This implies that burnout levels may be influenced by other systemic and organisational factors, such as workload, parental expectations, organisational issues, challenges in working with pupils with special educational needs (SEN), and school expectations and school culture, rather than demographic or experience-related factors.

When asked if they are likely to remain in the profession longterm, 42% indicated they were ‘unlikely’ to stay as teachers.

The first-of-its-kind research in Ireland was undertaken by Dr Sabrina Fitzsimons, Dr Pia O’Farrell and Professor Catherine Furlong in DCU’s Centre for Collaborative Research Across Teacher Education (DCU CREATE) with over 1000 teachers participating,  making it the largest in-depth study of this topic in Ireland. 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises burnout as an occupation-related phenomenon caused by prolonged and unmanaged workplace stress. According to the WHO, it has three key features: emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and reduced personal accomplishment. Burnout has significant implications for the education sector, which is already grappling with attracting people into the profession and, thereafter, retaining them.

This ongoing research aims to improve teacher wellbeing and retention, by identifying significant causal factors of burnout and poor mental health in teachers.

Dr Sabrina Fitzsimons (DCU CREATE Co-Director) said;

"The research demonstrates the need for a comprehensive policy response to teacher occupational wellbeing. We must take the poor wellbeing of teachers seriously and therefore there should be a coordinated approach to prioritise and address the structural factors contributing to teacher burnout. It is hoped that a shift in mentality from understanding burnout as an individual issue to a systemic issue will arise from the findings of this study.”

Dr Pia O’Farrell noted

“This Irish research is particularly relevant at this time given the persistent concern of teacher supply, policy churn and the evolving curriculum landscape of primary and post-primary education. The new primary curriculum, currently being rolled out, marks a significant shift in teaching and learning approaches. Simultaneously, changes to the Senior Cycle are set to begin implementation from September. These developments are occurring alongside the rapid integration of AI in education, which will significantly impact teachers’ approaches to teaching and assessment in the current Junior Cycle and the upcoming Senior Cycle reforms.”

Further to this, Professor Catherine Furlong (DCU CREATE Co-Director) said

“Teaching in Ireland has a long tradition of being a highly valued profession, a rewarding vocation, and that is evidenced by the continually high numbers entering teacher education courses around the country. However, as concerns about retaining teachers within the profession grow, these initial results highlight the urgent need to acknowledge and address the reality of the occupational wellbeing of teachers. The issues identified in this study demonstrate the impact of the on-going failure to address key systemic issues, such as under-resourcing, growing class size and pupil needs, alongside competing and conflicting demands.”

These initial findings will be presented at the ESAI Conference 2025 this weekend. The executive report will be launched in September 2025.

More information about the DCU Centre for Collaborative Research Across Teacher Education (CREATE) can be found here.

Key Statistics

¹ The study uses the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) which is a valid and reliable tool for the measurement of emotional exhaustion (one of the key features of burnout according to the WHO). The inventory is used in research and clinical settings to assess levels of burnout. The CBI inventory has three sub-dimensions - personal burnout, work related burnout and student or client related burnout (depending on the work context). Personal burnout is best considered as an indicator of ‘general’ burnout a person may be experiencing. Work-related burnout is directly attributed to emotional exhaustion as a result of a person’s occupation. The respondent is asked 19 questions that are rated on a 5 point scale (0-100). An overall mean score falling in the 0-49 bracket indicates mild burnout - this demonstrates a movement out of the optimal range of occupational stress and into the lower range of prolonged emotional exhaustion. Scores of 50-74 reflect moderate burnout - which is already serious and often under-recognised as burnout is covert, with cumulative effects on wellbeing and functioning. A score of 75 or above indicates high burnout, indicating severe emotional exhaustion. At this level the risk of physical and mental health deterioration increases sharply, often leading to occupational withdrawal, long-term absence or exiting the professional field due to ill health. This underscores the need to identify and address burnout in its early stages.

² Teachers were asked to record their self-rated mental health over the past year on a 5-point Likert scale, where: 1 = Very Poor, 2 = Poor, 3 = Average, 4 = Good, 5 = Excellent. When combined, 67% rated their mental health as average or good (3 or 4). Only 5% felt their mental health was excellent. While 28% of respondents rated their mental health as poor or very poor.