Last year 2023, Verywell Mind surveyed 1000 highschool and middle school students for Verywell Minds Mental Health in the Classroom Study. Teachers reported their experiences in handling mental health issues, effective strategies, and the resources they need to better help their students. This survey found that 81% of teachers felt responsible for their students mental health, and 77% felt obligated to teach mental health to their students. Many teachers feel they do not have enough resources to teach their students about mental health, providing adequate training can help teachers spot and intervene before a mental crisis occurs. Around 70% of teachers noticed their students dealing with mental health issues at least once a month, which shows the much needed support for student mental health resources.
A vast majority of respondents (89%) agree that they don’t have enough resources at their disposal to help students deal with mental health issues.
Verywell Mind
By creating more mental health awareness we can push for advocacy, stressing the need for better training and resources in schools. Although resources may be limited, collaborating with mental health professionals, social workers, and counselors can help both teachers and students with establishing mental health resources in schools.
You need to have a strong foundation to draw on in order to help your students. This means taking your own care seriously and scheduling in exercise, sleep, socialization, journaling, and meditation—so you can be an example to model to your students.
SABRINA ROMANOFF, PSYD
Reference: https://www.verywellmind.com/mental-health-in-the-classroom-survey-7569880
