Teachers and School Mental Health: A Systematic Review

• In Event: Teacher Stress and Coping: Exploring Teacher Engagement in Students’ School Mental Health Needs

Abstract

A substantial number of U.S. children and adolescents are diagnosed with serious emotional, mental, or behavioral health disorders, yet many of these children never receive adequate care (Katoaka, Zhang, & Wells, 2002). Teachers are oftentimes the first adults to notice the signs and symptoms of these disorders, yet evidence suggests that teachers are largely unprepared to address students’ mental health needs in the classroom (Koller & Bertel, 2002). As such, students’ emotional and behavioral problems have been identified as a primary source of teachers’ stress (Williams et al., 2007). In fact, empirical research has identified relationships among teachers’ stress, students’ mental health needs, and teacher-student relationships (Alvarez, 2007; Ball, 2011; Roeser & Midgley, 1997). Building from this, researchers have started to investigate the influential roles that teachers can serve in relationship to school mental health (SMH; Paternite & Johnston, 2005). For example, teachers can be involved in providing prevention supports for all students, implementing classroom-based accommodations and behavior management strategies for at-risk students, and serving as essential members of student support teams (Weston, Anderson-Butcher, & Burke, 2008). Teacher engagement in all of these SMH strategies may be particularly helpful in mitigating the stress teacher’s experience with regard to student’s emotional and behavioral challenges in the classroom. Further, conceptual literature also highlights how teacher engagement in SMH may be critical for interprofessional collaboration and professional growth (Burke & Paternite, 2007). Together, these findings speak to the importance of understanding teachers’ perceptions, knowledge, and roles in relationship to SMH, along with what professional development strategies help promote this understanding. Questions still remain, though, on whether, and how, teachers contribute to the implementation and effectiveness of SMH strategies as well as how these outcomes influence teachers’ daily experiences and feelings of stress in the classroom. To address this research gap, this presentation details a systematic review of existing literature on teachers and SMH. Specifically, the review examines available qualitative and quantitative research to improve our understanding of (a) teachers’ perceptions and knowledge of children’s mental health and SMH, and (b) existing in-service interventions conducted with teachers in relation to children’s mental health and SMH. Databases of scholarly research, scholarly journals related to SMH, teacher education, and student support services, and existing unpublished studies (e.g., dissertations, reports, etc.) were systematically screened. Preliminary findings from this systematic review indicate that a number of conceptual frameworks exist to guide interventions for improving teachers’ knowledge of children’s mental health, yet few empirical studies document the effectiveness and utility of these interventions. Additionally, research documented teachers’ limited understanding of children’s mental health issues, their critical roles on interprofessional teams, and the effectiveness of teacher-led classroom-based interventions for specific mental health needs (e.g., hyperactivity, anxiety, emotion regulation). Based on these results, presenters will highlight future directions for research and policy, as well as provide implications for teachers in relationship to stress and coping related to student mental health needs in the classroom.

Authors

• Annahita Ball, University at Buffalo - SUNY

• Elizabeth Levine Brown, George Mason University

• Aidyn Iachini, The Ohio State University