Abstract
BACKGROUND: The mental health of teachers has been demonstrated to be a contributing factor to the promotion of high-quality education in the country. The present study draws upon Conservation of Resources Theory and Social Support Theory in order to explore the relationship between family support and teachers' depression in primary and secondary school teachers, along with its underlying mechanisms. METHODS: This study employed convenience sampling to survey 3,159 primary and secondary school teachers (M(age) = 40.43, SD = 10.22; 37.4% male) in China via online platforms. Participants completed the Family Support Questionnaire, Time Affluent scale, Teacher Work-Family Conflict Questionnaire, and Patient Health Questionnaire. The subsequent analysis of the data was conducted using SPSS and its PROCESS plugin. RESULTS: The results suggested that family support was significantly negatively associated with teachers' depression. Furthermore, subjective time pressure and work-family conflict exerted a serial mediating effect in the relationship between family support and depression in this teacher group. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the study indicate that teachers who encounter diminished levels of familial support are more prone to manifest elevated degrees of depression. This phenomenon may be attributed to the fact that such teachers face greater subjective time pressure and more intense work-family conflicts, which exacerbate depression. Therefore, the provision of enhanced family support and encouragement has been demonstrated to be an effective means of alleviating the stress and depression experienced by these teachers, thereby promoting their mental health.