Mental health challenges of African American preschool teachers in violent communities

Objective: Identify mental health challenges of African American Head Start teachers in violent neighborhoods and community resources to help cope with violence-related stress. Background: Early childhood teachers are primarily women, and many work in urban, low-income neighborhoods with high levels of violent crimes. African Americans are disproportionately likely to reside in these neighborhoods. These African American women face tremendous challenges in maintaining their own mental health and supporting children's families. Methods: This qualitative study employed focus groups with 20 African American preschool teachers who work in high-violence neighborhoods. The study examined mental health challenges experienced by teachers and identified services and resources to help educators. Results: Teachers reported fears, psychological stress, and desensitization resulting from ecological stressors of community violence. Teachers tied stress responses to working in potentially dangerous, unpredictable work environments, as well as to the emotional demands of assisting families who had experienced violence. Teachers reported that programs need more mental health staff support and community resources to buffer teachers and families from the negative effects of community violence. Teachers also identified a need to re-engage community agencies, such as recreation programs, law-enforcement, health agencies, and housing boards to foster positive family development. Lessons learned: African American teachers are challenged by individual, family, community, and societal level stressors in violent communities. These women will benefit from expanded mental health services for teachers and families and programs and public policies that promote a wider network of community support. Multimodal interventions should build on cultural and neighborhood “strengths.”