I don;t think melbob is having a go but asking a question.
I suffer from depression and a counsellor has said that he sees a lot of teachers.
The hours are not short for some or maybe even some teachers, during term time I work on average a 14 hour day and during crisis times that goes up. If I can get awat with 12 hours that was good. I think the holidays help me from meeting complete meltdown tbh.
It can be an isolating profession particularly in a subject like mine where you may be a single person department.
Teenagers can be very hard work, I have specialised in working in very difficult schools in my time as a teacher the low lights have included being thrown against a wall when pregnant and then loosing a baby (probably not linked but it is always in the back of my mind), attempted sexual assault, countless incidents of verbal abuse, being kicked shoved etc.
It is one of those jobs that is a nightmare for a perfectionist like me because you can always do better. Perfectionists often suffer from depression as they are never content. When I do something I rarely think I have done well I think about what could have gone better.
This maybe appealing to my own vanity but lots of thinkers suffer from depression, maybe again because we over analyse, lots of thinkers will be teachers.
Relationship breakdown is a big factor in depression, my job was a huge factor in my divorce, my hours that I work, the fact that I grew very close to collegues who shared my difficult work life and just got me in a way dp could not. I know in my present relationship my job is a stress point for us.
I do not want this to be a whinge though, despite its difficulties I teach because I want to, I am relatively well paid as long as you don;t look at my hourly rate and I have a good pension. More importantly I do a job I look forward to doing and I get to make a real difference and that is not something everyone could say.