'Half the Teacher I Once Was': Ohio Early Childhood Educators Describe Their Mental Well-Being during the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic

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  • Author(s): Amy Wolfe (ORCID Amy Wolfe (ORCID 0000-0002-6287-9167); Tiffany Rowland (ORCID Tiffany Rowland (ORCID 0000-0001-8269-1535); Jennifer Creque Blackburn (ORCID Jennifer Creque Blackburn (ORCID 0000-0002-1461-1844)
  • Language:
    English
  • Source:
    Early Childhood Education Journal. 2024 52(8):1933-1943.
  • Publication Date:
    2024
  • Document Type:
    Journal Articles
    Reports - Research
  • Additional Information
    • Availability:
      Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
    • Peer Reviewed:
      Y
    • Source:
      11
    • Education Level:
      Early Childhood Education
    • Subject Terms:
      Early Childhood Education; Child Caregivers; Early Childhood Teachers; Mental Health; Well Being; COVID-19; Pandemics; Attitudes; Barriers; Safety; Hygiene; Financial Problems; Role; Social Isolation; Burnout
    • Subject Terms:
      Ohio
    • Accession Number:
      10.1007/s10643-023-01541-4
    • ISSN:
      1082-3301
      1573-1707
    • Abstract:
      This study explores Ohio Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) workers' descriptions of their mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic's first year. This unexpectedly rich theme was found through a broader qualitative study initially undertaken to understand ECEC employee perceptions of inequitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccine among Ohio educators. Data were collected anonymously through an online questionnaire and thematic analysis was conducted. There were eight main themes related to participant mental well-being in our analysis of the data: making decisions to keep people safe, struggle to find personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies, financial concerns, lack of control, inability to social distance due to caregiving role, isolation, and feeling mentally and physically exhausted, and a positive impact on mental well-being from returning to work. These results confirm and illustrate research indicating COVID-19 had a detrimental impact on mental well-being among ECEC professionals and offer insight into the experiences of providers through their narrative responses. Child care worker financial stability is linked to their well-being; ECEC workers should receive systemic support to improve their baseline mental well-being to prevent a crisis such as COVID-19 from overwhelming them. They should be provided clearly articulated tiered supports and interventions to help them manage their mental well-being.
    • Abstract:
      As Provided
    • Publication Date:
      2024
    • Accession Number:
      EJ1449182