Introduction: Occupational stress in Teaching has been considered a significant health problem related to its impact on teachers' mental health. Besides this assumption, the process underlying human adaptation to occupational stress in schoolteachers is still scarce.
Purpose: Based on the Interactive Model of Human Adaptation to Stress, this study analyzed the relationship between cognitive appraisal and psychological distress, examining whether gender moderates this relationship.
Method: We conducted a cross-sectional study with a sample of 402 Portuguese schoolteachers (Age: M = 47.04, SD = 7.69). The measures consisted of a Sociodemographic Questionnaire, the Primary and Secondary Cognitive Appraisal Scale, and the General Health Questionnaire-12. We used structural equation modelling with multigroup analysis to test the hypothesis.
Results: Results showed a high prevalence of clinical cases of psychological distress in teachers (87%). The model tested fitted well to the data (χ2(239 df ) = 420.798, p < .001; χ2/df = 1.761; RMSEA = .044, 90 % CI [.037, .050]; SRMR = .0505; CFI = .956; NFI = .905; TLI = .949). Male teachers presented a significantly worse psychological profile, with more clinical symptoms of anxiety/depression. Significant main effects were found for gender regarding challenge and coping perceptions, with males reporting higher coping and females more challenge perceptions. Threat perception constituted the main predictor of teachers' mental health.
Conclusions: Educational organizations (e.g., head teachers) should implement work strategies that make the academic environment less threatening and more challenging, and controllable for teachers, thereby promoting a positive and participatory climate with shared leadership and supporting teachers' mental health.