Education was one of the sectors most affected by the pandemic due to the emergency suspension of face-to-face activities. The educational sector had to adapt quickly to remote teaching, in conditions that are not always favorable in terms of resources to carry out classes, work overload, and excessive use of screens. Therefore, feelings of anguish, anxiety and stress were frequent, mainly due to sudden and radical changes in daily life and uncertainty about the duration of this period. In addition, fear, alarm, stress, and depression were also common in the period. Thus, education professionals may have shown an increase in the prevalence of mental health problems, because of difficulties related to work during the pandemic.

To identify the prevalence of diagnosed mental health conditions in workers in the education sector during the COVID-19 pandemic through quarterly assessments over 12 months.

Longitudinal study, derived from the IMPPAC cohort. Education workers who participated in the baseline (June 2020 to September 2020) and quarterly follow-ups for 12 months were included, using an electronic form with sociodemographic, occupational, and medical diagnoses questions.

450 education workers participated in the baseline; being 63.6% female; 71.4% white; 35.8% in the 30 to 39 age group; 62.7% married; 95.8% with a university degree; 66.8% with income greater than six minimum wages; 31.1% with working time greater than 16 years; 44% had increased workload during the pandemic; 97.1% in home office; 52.9% had children at home; 18.7% were contaminated at some point by COVID-19 until the second year of the pandemic; 52% did not use medication, and of those who did, 25% used two or more medications. Anxiety was the health condition with the highest increase in cases: 8.0% (3rd month of the pandemic); 9.8% (6th month); 12.0% (9th month) and 23.8% (12th month of the pandemic). In sequence, burnout with 0.4% (3rd month); 0.8% (6th/9th month) and 14.3% (12th month). Insomnia diagnoses had a prevalence of 1.1% (3rd/6th month); 1.2% (9th month) and 11.9% (12th month of the pandemic). Finally, the diagnosis of depression had a prevalence of 5.5% (3rd month); 4.9% (6th month); 4.3% (9th month) and 7.1% (12th month).

Anxiety, burnout, insomnia and depression were the most prevalent mental diagnoses and had a significant increase after 12 months of follow-up among education workers, especially between the 9th and 12th months of follow-up.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, working conditions in the education sector are tolerant, causing a scenario of shocks. Our results support the need to care for workers' mental health, especially in relation to anxiety, burnout, insomnia and depression.