Abstract
Mental health issues are a serious barrier to learning for many secondary students. Students need to be identified, or know where to find support when it is needed. Therefore, teachers, who see students daily, are essential in identifying, referring, and supporting student mental health needs. However, many teachers lack training or confidence in supporting secondary students’ mental health needs. There is also little literature on secondary teachers’ self-efficacy in supporting secondary students’ mental health. Therefore, a narrative qualitative study was conducted to gain insight as to how secondary teachers perceive their self-efficacy in supporting students’ mental health needs. Key findings reveal teachers need more training and role clarification on their role in supporting secondary mental health. While teachers play an essential role in supporting student mental health, this responsibility conflicts with teachers’ perceptions of their role, therefore they need proper training to best identify and support these students.
Presenters
Kathryn WatsonStudent, PhD, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
School-Based Mental Health, Secondary Education, Teachers, Self-Efficacy
