Mental Health and Access to Resources in a Schoolteacher Population Impacted by Earthquakes and the Pandemic in Puerto Rico

Abstract

Objective: A study was conducted to evaluate the mental health status and access to essential resources in a sample of schoolteachers impacted by earthquakes and the COVID-19 pandemic in Southwestern Puerto Rico. Methods: From November 2020 through September 2021, an online survey was administered to schoolteachers working in municipalities listed in the Federal Emergency Management Agency earthquake disaster declaration. The prevalences of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression were calculated based on scores from the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) (PCL-5), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D-7) scale, respectively. Results: Most of the teachers in the sample (N = 58) reported serving students of low socioeconomic status (93.1%). Forty-eight percent (48.3%) reported having trouble making necessary home repairs, and 32.8%, accessing medical care. Twenty-one percent (20.7%) of the teachers met the clinical cutoff for PTSD, and 12.1% scored within the range of severe anxiety. Twenty-four percent (24.1%) of the teachers obtained scores indicative of depression. Conclusion: The survey findings highlight the need to provide mental health services to schoolteachers in the aftermath of a natural disaster in Puerto Rico.