Wettstein Alexander, Kühne Fabienne, Tschacher Wolfgang, La Marca Roberto
Department of Research and Development, University of Teacher Education Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
University Hospital of Psychiatry Bern, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Front Neurosci. 2020 Feb 14;14:112. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00112. eCollection 2020.
Teachers are affected by high levels of job stress, leading to one of the highest rates of burnout. The purpose of our pilot study was to investigate the diurnal course of teachers' psychological and physiological stress responses [cortisol levels, alpha-amylase, heart rate (HR), and heart rate variability (HRV)]. Another aim of the project was to test the applicability of ambulatory assessment methods in daily teaching situations.
In a non-clinical sample of eight primary school teachers (mean age = 43, = 15.22, 6 females) in Switzerland, continuous biopsychological data on two workdays and a free day were assessed. The teachers' HRs and HRV were measured continuously using an ambulatory ECG. Additionally, eight saliva samples were collected from the teachers repeatedly throughout the day to determine the diurnal course of salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase (sAA). Perceived stress and anger ratings were assessed simultaneously.
As hypothesized, the teachers' morning cortisol levels, perceived stress, and anger levels were significantly higher, and their overall HRV was significantly lower on workdays than on a free day. Conversely, sAA levels and HRs showed no significant differences between working and free days. Salivary markers exhibited the expected diurnal course, with decreasing cortisol and increasing sAA levels over the course of the day, while self-rated stress reached the maximum at midday during working days.
The results of the present explorative study show that physiological and psychological parameters differ within working and free days for teachers. A comparison between working and free days resulted in differences in morning cortisol levels, HRV as well as stress and anger levels. The ambulatory assessment method was found to be applicable in daily teaching situations.
教师受到高水平工作压力的影响，导致职业倦怠率居高不下。我们的试点研究旨在调查教师心理和生理应激反应的昼夜变化过程[皮质醇水平、α-淀粉酶、心率（HR）和心率变异性（HRV）]。该项目的另一个目标是测试动态评估方法在日常教学情境中的适用性。
在瑞士选取了8名小学教师（平均年龄 = 43岁，标准差 = 15.22，6名女性）作为非临床样本，评估了两个工作日和一个休息日的连续生物心理数据。使用动态心电图连续测量教师的心率和心率变异性。此外，在一天中多次从教师那里采集8份唾液样本，以确定唾液皮质醇和α-淀粉酶（sAA）的昼夜变化过程。同时评估感知压力和愤怒评分。
正如假设的那样，工作日教师的早晨皮质醇水平、感知压力和愤怒水平显著更高，而他们的总体心率变异性显著低于休息日。相反，工作日和休息日之间，sAA水平和心率没有显著差异。唾液标志物呈现出预期的昼夜变化过程，一天中皮质醇水平下降，sAA水平上升，而自评压力在工作日中午达到最大值。
本探索性研究结果表明，教师在工作日和休息日的生理和心理参数存在差异。工作日和休息日的比较显示，早晨皮质醇水平、心率变异性以及压力和愤怒水平存在差异。发现动态评估方法适用于日常教学情境。
