Background Teachers experience high levels of stress as a result of their professional duties and research has shown a growing interest in this phenomenon during the recent years. Aim of this study was to explore the associations of stress sources and manifestations with individual and job-related characteristics in educators of all levels. Methods In a cross–sectional design, following an informative e-campaign on the study aims through the official and the main teachers’ portals in Greece, respondents completed online the Teachers Stress Inventory (TSI) and the 14-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14). 974 male and 2473 female pre-primary, primary and secondary educators with a mean age of 41.2 years responded. Results Women and younger teachers reported significantly higher levels of stress, mainly due to lack of time and other work-related stressors, and also more emotional and gastronomic manifestations. Increased age and working experience were associated with lower levels of several stress sources. Teachers of administrative positions had increased time management stressors, but less professional distress, professional investment and discipline and motivation stressors. Additionally, working and residing far from family increased teachers’ stress levels associated to control, motivation and investment. Teachers of pre-primary education had reduced professional investment and motivation stress factors while vocational lyceum teachers of secondary education reported less work-related stressors and manifestations and more discipline and motivation related ones. Having students supported or in need of support from special educators and students with difficulties in speaking or comprehension was associated with most of the teachers' stress sources and manifestations (i.e. TSI subscales). Finally, colleagues’ and mainly supervisors' support seemed to provide a strong and consistent protection against both stress sources and manifestations. Conclusions Stress factors and manifestations vary among educators by gender, seniority and educational level. Training in coping and communication skills starting in teachers’ undergraduate studies might have a major impact on their stress alleviation.

The present study examined the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire’s (TEQ) validity and reliability in a sample of 3955 Greek teachers. In order to test the internal consistency reliability, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used and was found satisfactory at 0.72. The sample was randomly split and an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted in the even subsample, justifying the one-factor solution, with the only discrepancy of the low loading of an item. In the odd subsample a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to confirm the one-factor model identified by the EFA. The chi square test (χ²) of the model was significant (p < 0.05), while the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), the comparative fit index (CFI) and the goodness of fit index (GFI) values were 0.078, 0.969 and 0.960, respectively, further supporting the model’s fit. Student’s t-tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that women, teachers with children of their own, those working full-time in public schools, those with students who needed special education, and those who had received mental health promotion training, scored higher. Additionally, multiple linear regression analysis revealed that sex, working status, having students who needed special education, and having attended mental health training courses were independently associated with TEQ score. The analyses confirmed that the Greek version of TEQ could be used for researches in Greek educators as a valid and reliable measure of teachers’ empathy.

Background: The Teacher Stress Inventory (TSI) is an instrument for measuring occupational stress in teachers. This study aimed to translate and adapt it for use in Greece, and then assess its reliability and validity. Methods: The Greek versions of the TSI and the 14-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) were posted on all Greek educators' official sites during May 2012. A nationwide sample of 3,447 teachers of all levels and specialties completed the questionnaires via the Internet. Reliability was determined by the calculation of Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted and validity was further examined by investigating the correlation of the TSI with the PSS-14 and their association with demographics and work-related factors. Results: Satisfactory Cronbach's alpha values (above 0.70) were found for all TSI dimensions. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the two-factor construct of TSI (root mean square error of approximation, comparative fit index, and goodness-of-fit index values were 0.079, 0.956, and 0.951, respectively), confirming the pre-established theory for the two latent variables, Stress Sources and Stress Manifestations. Significant correlations were found between TSI subscales, PSS-14 sex, age, lack of support, and students' difficulties. Conclusion: The Greek version of the TSI was found to have satisfactory psychometric properties, and its use for assessing stress in Greek teachers is warranted.

Background. Mental health professionals are at risk of experiencing vicarious trauma and burnout as a consequence of the nature of their work. Studies and scholars so far have demonstrated that empathy interacts directly with burnout, and they imply an interaction with vicarious trauma. However, research has paid little attention to the interplay among vicarious trauma, empathy, and burnout in mental health professionals who practice psychotherapy. This study examines the interplay between mental health professionals’ (those practicing psychotherapy) vicarious trauma and empathy and investigates the ways they contribute to burnout. Methods. The sample consisted of 214 mental health professionals (32 males and 182 females), working in the public and private sectors. Specific instruments were administered online to the sample: (a) an improvised demographic questionnaire (age, gender, education, specialty, years of experience, years of supervision); (b) the Counselor Burnout Inventory, validated for the Greek population by Kounenou et al.; (c) the Vicarious Trauma Scale; and (d) the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy. Results. Correlation analysis showed that empathy and vicarious trauma were positively related to burnout. Moreover, multiple regression analysis revealed that supervision, empathy, and, to a greater degree, vicarious trauma have a significant impact on burnout. Conclusion. Unlike relative research on burnout, gender and work experience did not seem to play a significant role in the prediction of burnout in the present study. Several suggestions for future studies, as well as implications for mental health practitioners, are discussed.

Over the past decades, research on positive psychology for building strengths has proliferated. The present study aimed to explore the effect of gratitude in a 5-week positive psychology group program for undergraduate engineering students which included an intermediary 2-week gratitude intervention. In a mixed-design, 69 students from three engineering departments of the School of Pedagogical and Technological Education (ASPETE), assigned to the intervention (N = 34) and the control group (N = 35), with an average age of 21.52 years (SD = 4.63), were administered the Gratitude Questionnaire—six item form (GQ-6), the Modified Differential Emotions Scale (mDES), the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS), and the Life Orientation Test—Revised (LOT-R). The condition experimental vs. control group was designated as the between-subjects factor, and time, that is, baseline vs. post intervention, was set as the within-subjects factor. Students who received the intervention reported significantly higher levels of gratitude. The increase in gratitude was due to the positive psychology group program. In addition, gratitude showed a significant effect on happiness and optimism, but failed to attain a significant impact on positive and negative emotions and resilience. Further research is needed to elucidate the effectiveness of positive psychology programs for undergraduate engineering students and the intervening cognitive processes.