The study did not examine reasons for teachers’ high anxiety levels. However, co-author Joseph Kush, an assistant psychology professor at James Madison University, said one theory is that healthcare workers are more experienced in working under extreme conditions. There also was much uncertainty week-to-week for educators as schools adjusted reopening policies during the pandemic, Kush said.
The high rate of teachers’ anxiety compared to healthcare workers surprised the researchers. “We went back to make sure we were crunching the numbers correctly,” Kush said.
