In the public view as well as amongst teachers burnout was commonly regarded as an innate problem of this particular profession. Based on a critical evaluation of the phenomenon of burnout current concepts of mental health in teachers are presented. On the one hand they encompass job-related profiles of coping in schoolteachers. Other concepts focus on vocational competence of stress management or organizational factors, their perception and individual appraisal (e.g. effort-reward imbalance). Beyond that the role of functional recovery is illustrated. These concepts relate to elevated levels of occupational stress and increased risk of mental disorders. The current state of research is limited by the lack of longitudinal studies; however, practical job-specific approaches in the prevention and treatment of mentally stressed teachers can be deduced.