Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of selected groups of diagnoses and to evaluate the mental health among Saxon female and male teachers in primary, secondary modern and grammar schools. Methods: A sample of 860 female and 126 male Saxon teachers in 108 primary schools, 51 secondary modern schools and 23 grammar schools was investigated by means of a questionnaire covering various aspects of the occupational school-related situation (professional case history) and the Work Ability Index (WAI) to record diseases diagnosed by a physician, impairment of work performance due to ill-health and the amount of sick leave within the previous 12 months. Furthermore mental health was evaluated by means of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). Results: On the basis of medical diagnosis, the most frequent group of disorders in teachers were disorders of the musculoskeletal system (34 %), the cardiovascular system (19 %), and the skin (14 %). There were no differences between the three types of school. Female teachers reported more disorders of the musculoskeletal system than did male teachers (35 % vs. 24 %). Mental diseases were reported by 10 % of the teachers. For 20 % of the teachers there was suggested evidence of impaired mental health (GHQ-12) without sex-related differences. The proportion of grammar school teachers (27 %) with impaired mental health is considerably higher than that of teachers of primary schools (16 %) and secondary modern schools (18 %). Especially grammar school teachers feel under stress more frequently. However, seen as a whole the effects are small (eta2) and reveal that sex-related and school type-dependent differences are not significant in practice. Conclusions: Although the majority of teachers reported a good health status, the study reveals a necessity for preventive measures for workplace health promotion. Here it is important to distinguish between general preventive measures for the standard diseases of civilized society, such as diseases of the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems, and more specific prevention of mental disorders.
