In a webinar, clinical psychologist and researcher Dr Jess Stubbing discussed some of the things teachers need to know about student mental health and wellbeing, including common issues that impact wellbeing, the importance of belonging and connection, and how teachers can support students in a way that is appropriate to their role.

Here are some key insights from the webinar:

Currently, fewer young people in New Zealand are reporting that they are experiencing good mental health, and more are experiencing low mood, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts and behaviours, than ever before. This trend is similar in other countries where there is data, and is part of a long-term trend which has accelerated over past few decades (the trend existed before Covid, but was further accelerated by it). We all define wellbeing and mental health differently, but generally, loss of wellbeing describes a state where people are unable to do and be their best, and it becomes a mental health challenge when they feel they need help, although this is more of a spectrum than a line to be crossed.

There are some key factors that can threaten children and young people’s wellbeing and mental health. Mental health is an interconnected web of threads that are woven together in a young person’s life, and many things may impact groups of and individual young people. Young people report that the world has become confusing and overwhelming for them. They find it hard to find their place in the world, and to find the support they need. Pressure is one of the biggest factors that affects young people’s mental health, including pressure to be a good student, pressure to take care of families, and pressure to enter the workforce and be successful. A particular challenge for young people is trying to fit into a school community that may not be particularly welcoming to them, which means that certain groups of students, such as neurodivergent or gender-diverse students, often experience additional mental health challenges.

Connection, belonging, and meaningful are important protective factors for children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing, while young people who feel disconnected, alone, and unsupported have poorer mental health. Teachers’ relationships and connections with students can  and do make a big difference, and can serve as a powerful protective factor in maintaining students’ mental health. Students report that it is not necessarily support specifically related to mental health challenges that they need and appreciate from their teachers, but rather teachers who are there for them, who believe in them, and who offer help with schoolwork when it is needed. Some students spend more time with their teachers than with their parents at certain times in their lives, so teachers are a valuable source of connection. Being present with students, listening to what their needs are, and being prepared to offer needed supports is highly valuable. Being a safe, trusted adult in the school can also help young people in the process of finding out who they are and where they fit in the world, which is in turn an important factor in positive mental health.

Other protective factors in good mental health include physical exercise, good nutrition, and sleep. It is often assumed that social media negatively affects young people’s mental health, but research shows that one of the key ways it does this is actually by limiting their sleep, as they tend to be on their devices too late at night. While young people are aware of this, it does not often lead to behaviour change, so teaching students about self-regulation and strategies for changing habits and behaviours may support them to apply these in relation to device use and healthy habits around sleep, exercise, and nutrition.

There are ways to support young people’s mental health and wellbeing that do not rely on specific programmes and interventions. Value the power of talking, connection, and space. Talking to families and youth leaders in schools and the community is a hugely valuable source of insight for teachers, and young people themselves are extremely insightful into their own mental health. Some of the changes and supports that teachers can offer are small, but make a big difference.  If you do decide to implement a specific wellbeing programme, check to see whether or not it has been evaluated for impact, and whether young people were involved in its design. Another detail to check is the age range for which the programme is designed.

Research shows that when wellbeing support is woven through a teacher’s classroom programme, it improves students’ wellbeing, regardless of other school-wide wellbeing initiatives. For example, an important way to support young people’s wellbeing is to build their knowledge about emotions and how to understand, communicate, and manage them. Teachers and other trusted adults can help young people recognise and name different feelings and emotions, and recognise and understand the relationship between physical feelings and emotions (what do the feelings in my body tell me about the way I’m feeling emotionally?). Teaching problem-solving and how to respond to emotions (as children do not automatically know how to deal with things like feeling angry), and giving them a toolkit for responding to certain feelings and emotions, is beneficial. Emotions become more complex as children age, so continuing into secondary school is important, but it is important that support focuses on identifying ways to respond to emotions, rather than just telling young people not to feel that way.

If a teacher is concerned about a student’s mental health, there are some clear avenues for support available. For schools without formalised structures around mental health support, it is important to have clear policies and approaches that cover who teachers should speak to, when outside help should be sought, when parents should be contacted, and so on. Once a concern has been raised with a family, their first port of call will usually be the student’s general practitioner (GP), who can then refer them on to a primary care provider. It is also possible for schools to refer students directly to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, who accept referrals from professionals. Unfortunately, both services tend to have long waiting lists. There are also some non-government organisations that are free or low cost, like I Am Hope, Youthline, and Gumboot Friday. These do not require a referral from a GP, and young people can self-refer.