Mazandaran Association of Emergency Medicine Humanistic Studies and Social Researches 3092-6467 2 1 2025 12 18 Educational Leadership as a Determinant of Teacher Well-Being: A Review of the Relationship Between Leadership Styles, Teacher Mental Health, and Burnout 236497 10.22034/hssr.2025.236497 EN Nooriyeh Yousefi PhD in Educational Psychology, Department of Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Roudehen Branch, Tehran, Iran 0009-0004-6547-0094 Journal Article <span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; color: #0f1115; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Background:<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; color: #0f1115; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> The global teaching profession faces a sustainability crisis characterized by escalating attrition rates linked to deteriorating mental health and professional burnout. School leadership has emerged as a critical, modifiable organizational factor influencing these teacher outcomes, with significant implications for educational quality and equity. <span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; color: #0f1115; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Objective:<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; color: #0f1115; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> This review evaluated empirical research from 2000-2025 to investigate relationships between distinct educational leadership styles and teachers' mental health and burnout levels, identify mediating mechanisms, and highlight implications for educational practice and policy. <span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; color: #0f1115; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Methods:<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; color: #0f1115; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> A comprehensive narrative systematic review was conducted using electronic databases (ERIC, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science). Search terms combined leadership constructs ("educational leadership," "transformational leadership"), well-being indicators ("teacher burnout," "mental health"), and contextual factors ("school climate," "organizational support"). Inclusion criteria encompassed empirical studies examining leadership as an independent variable and teacher well-being as dependent variables in K-12 settings. <span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; color: #0f1115; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Results:<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; color: #0f1115; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> Transformational and distributed leadership styles demonstrate consistent protective effects against teacher burnout while promoting psychological well-being. Laissez-faire leadership emerges as the most robust predictor of adverse mental health outcomes. Transactional leadership shows context-dependent effects, while abusive leadership produces unequivocally negative consequences. Key mediating pathways include perceived organizational support, self-efficacy, and school climate quality. <span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; color: #0f1115; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Conclusion:<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; color: #0f1115; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> Educational leadership style constitutes a fundamental determinant of teacher psychological functioning and professional sustainability. Prioritizing leadership development focused on supportive, empowering practices represents an essential strategy for creating healthier schools and retaining high-quality teaching professionals.

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