Interpersonal Stressors, Interpersonal Stress Coping, and Depression Among Japanese Teachers

Abstract

Background: Many studies have found that Japanese teachers experience various stressors such as difficulties of instruction, excessive workload, and interpersonal relations (Takagi & Tanaka, 2003). Among those stressors, interpersonal stressors has been getting a lot more attention lately (Akaoka & Taniguchi, 2009). This study examined the influences of interpersonal stressors and interpersonal stress coping on depression among Japanese teachers. Methods: Participants consisted of 424 Japanese teachers. They completed the Scale of Interpersonal Stressors (Hashimoto, 2005), the Interpersonal Stress-Coping Inventory (Kato, 2000), and the Japanese version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (Shima et al., 1985). Findings: One-way ANOVA on the interpersonal stressors was significant. Interpersonal friction was significantly higher than interpersonal conflict or interpersonal blunders. One-way ANOVA on the interpersonal stress coping was also significant. Reassessing coping was significantly higher than distancing coping or constructive coping. Moreover, reassessing coping was negatively and significantly related to depression. Discussion: In order to reduce Japanese teachers’ stress responses, it seems effective to promote the use of reassessing coping in the stressful situations caused by interpersonal relations.