Social Support and Coping Strategies in Mitigating Burnout among Early Childhood Teachers: A Systematic Review

Job burnout among early childhood teachers often leads to adverse psychological, emotional, and professional effects. Despite increasing awareness of teacher well-being, little attention has been given to the role of social support and coping strategies in reducing burnout within this group. This systematic review aims to synthesise empirical evidence on how social support systems and coping mechanisms help reduce burnout among early childhood education teachers. Articles were identified through comprehensive searches of PsycINFO, ERIC, Scopus, and PubMed, following PRISMA guidelines. Although the initial search yielded a larger number of records, a total of 30 peer-reviewed studies published between 2013 and 2025 met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. Articles were selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the data was summarised narratively. The findings indicate that strong social support networks and adaptive coping strategies are consistently associated with lower burnout levels. In contrast, insufficient support and reliance on maladaptive coping are associated with increased burnout symptoms. Social support and coping strategies serve as key protective factors in preventing burnout among early childhood teachers. Their presence significantly boosts educators’ psychological resilience and professional longevity. The results highlight the importance of institutional interventions and policies that strengthen support systems and promote effective coping strategies. Educational policymakers, school leaders, and mental health professionals should prioritise developing teacher support structures and resilience-building training programs to reduce burnout and improve early childhood education systems. Received: 24 July 2025 / Accepted: 23 November 2025 / Published: January 2026