Beyond the Classroom: Factors Associated with Job-Related Suicide Among Educators

Going beyond the classroom, this study emphasized the well-being and support of educators, shifting focus from the traditional emphasis on students. Leveraging the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) dataset, this study identified preceding factors and salient qualitative themes based on available coroner/medical examiner and police reports of primary and secondary educator suicides in the United States. Factors related to having a job-related problem among educators who died by suicide included the COVID-19 pandemic, age, being male, being married, teaching special education, experiencing depressed mood, financial problems, and/or the presence of criminal-legal problems (n = 1655). Additionally, qualitative themes extracted among those with a job-related problem preceding suicide (n = 136) included conduct-related issues or related investigations, the COVID-19 pandemic, financial strain, teaching-related issues, employment changes, and mental health problems. The findings of this study are connected to self-efficacy theory and teacher identity, and to broader global challenges among educators. We provide policy recommendations based on our findings for this important occupational group.