Teachers’ mental health from the perspectives of moral injury and institutional betrayal, and on trauma-sensitive organizational environments: a narrative review

Abstract

Teachers' mental health is a critical public health concern in South Korea. The current educational environment, characterized by intensifying parent-teacher conflicts, legal disputes, and increasing administrative burdens, demonstrates the limitations of interpreting these challenges solely through the lens of individual vulnerability or resilience. Moral injury can provide a useful explanatory framework for understanding how chronic occupational stressors and institutional betrayal lead to negative mental health outcomes among teachers. In this narrative literature review, we examine new concepts related to teachers' psychological distress, including moral injury, institutional betrayal, secondary trauma, and occupational mental health. With a particular focus on preventive and trauma-informed approaches, we also review international employee assistance program (EAP) models and organizational support systems. International case studies emphasize the importance of confidential EAP services, multidisciplinary support systems, administrative support, and organizational resources to enhance the psychological safety of teachers and promote early intervention. Based on the reviewed literature, this study proposes the development of an independent EAP model for Korean teachers and an institutional support system that reflects an understanding of trauma, with the aim of enhancing teachers' well-being and contributing to the creation of a sustainable education system.