An Integrated Approach to Sustainable Islamic School Leadership

School leaders are showing signs of increasing stress, with consequent adverse health outcomes. Two major causes of this are a growing need to support the mental health of students and teachers. Data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) shows that many adolescents do not have a strong sense of meaning and purpose, a component of ‘afīyah. Helping students achieve this is a critical priority that requires having teachers who themselves experience ‘afīyah, yet there is also declining mental health amongst teachers, particularly early career teachers. Drawing from recent results of a longitudinal survey on principals’ occupational health, safety, and well-being, this chapter details how some of these issues impact on school leaders. The need for school leaders to prioritise their own ‘afīyah is critical. Suggestions for how to do so are outlined.