Case study no. 7: Yasmine (age 52), Teacher

She is a teacher in a primary school in Rome. She started this job at the end of Nineties with a great enthusiasm and in her first school she was very glad, then she moved to another school, closer to her home but in a more disadvantaged area; after a good start she asked for a part-time position and the troubles arose.

She felt herself marginalised both from the pupils (few hours with them, negative inputs on the didactic) and from her colleagues (less information, less frequent relationships). This confused and unpleasant situation was very stressing to Mrs Cox.

Mrs Cox is also very sociable, but started to avoid friends and relatives, to stay at home during the weekends, to be very irritable, to sleep badly, and to be inattentive. She started a cycle of meetings with a psychotherapist after the suggestion of a colleague and now she has a satisfactory relationship within the school environment and has regained her smile and the social interests.