Dimensions of psychosocial care in the teaching profession

Introduction: working conditions and the nature of work have changed dramatically in recent decades. Current work environments are characterized by an increasing emphasis on knowledge and information-based work. Aim: to describe the dimensions of psychosocial care in the teaching staff as a result of the tensions and changes in the current scenarios of the educational sector. Methods: a qualitative phenomenological documentary study was designed to identify categories of analysis related to the dimensions of psychosocial care of people who work as teachers in the Argentine context. Results: the teaching activity implies important emotional demands that require sustained emotional effort. Academic work requires teachers to interact with a great diversity of actors. Increasing levels of competitiveness with greater demands on the quality of processes and results. Teaching is typified as one of the most stressful occupations due to high cognitive and emotional demands, increasing work overload, conflicting schedules, job instability and difficulties in reconciling academic and family life. Conclusions: the study of psychosocial risks assumes a vital role in universities, where academic professionals constitute their main strategic asset. A systemic knowledge of the work factors that expose academics to greater psychosocial risk is essential for the development of preventive policies and strategies to reduce work demands and/or increase the resources available to cope with them