Mental health interventions for occupational stress and burnout among special education teachers: a scoping review.

Abstract

Occupational stress and burnout are prevalent among special education teachers and are associated with a range of professional, organisational and systemic challenges within educational settings. These challenges can adversely affect teachers' mental health, well-being and professional functioning, highlighting the need for effective interventions to support their workforce. This scoping review aimed to identify the available mental health interventions to manage occupational stress and burnout among special education teachers, with a focus on mental health and well-being outcomes. Scoping review. This scoping review was compiled using the Arksey and O'Malley methodological framework and reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Searches were systematically conducted across six databases, namely CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, PUBMED (NCBI), EMBASE and Cochrane from January 1995 to February 2026. We systematically searched for peer-reviewed original intervention studies published in English that examine mental health interventions to manage occupational stress and burnout among special education teachers in the school setting. The identified studies were screened using Rayyan Software and data extraction was performed using a data extraction sheet. Of the 447 studies obtained through electronic databases, 12 were eligible after full-text screening and 6 studies were obtained via other methods. In total, 18 studies were finally considered in the review. The screening and data extraction were performed independently by two reviewers. The discrepancies were resolved through discussion between the reviewers; if unresolved, a third reviewer was consulted. The review included studies involving 834 participants, of whom the majority were females (74.5%). Participants' ages ranged from 21 to 65 years. 12 intervention approaches were identified, most commonly mindfulness-based interventions, yoga and Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy. The findings suggest that these interventions may be associated with reductions in occupational stress and burnout, as well as improvements in mental health outcomes. Using evidence-based interventions to manage stress and burnout among special education teachers can help to improve their mental health and overall well-being. This review highlights practical interventions that can be implemented in the workplace. Integrating scalable strategies into occupational health initiatives is essential to support the workforce's well-being and sustainability.