Adjusting perceptions, beliefs and behaviour to different situations was found to protect teachers from post-traumatic symptoms, in a study by Prof. Einat Levy-Gigi, a psychologist & neuroscientist in Bar-Ilan’s Faculty of Education.
As part of their work, educators are often exposed to various stressful events, including violence, sexual assault and suicidal behavior, as well as death or illness.
One of the main consequences of exposure to stressful events on a daily basis is the development of symptoms such as unwanted memories, avoidance, difficulty sleeping and concentrating, negative beliefs towards the world, and mood swings. These symptoms may have a detrimental effect on teachers’ daily functioning and health.
A series of studies led by Prof. Einat Levy-Gigi, a psychologist and neuroscientist, Head of the Educational Counselling Programme and of the Trauma, Coping and Growth Laboratory at the Faculty of Education of Bar-Ilan University, shows that cognitive flexibility helps deal with the consequences of continuous exposure to stress.
