Net Exchange Response
Title: What would you suggest to colleagues asking about
surveys on teachers’ perceptions about mental health of students
Date Posted: 7/1/2013Question: I am looking for surveys which examine what teachers know about mental
health, how they feel about mental health, if they have skills to deal with students with
special needs, or teachers attitudes of the kids themselves. Do you know of any existing
surveys or researchers in this area? Response: At the roots of this request is an appreciation that teachers who are familiar and comfortable
with everyday mental health concerns (e.g., a sad student, a shy student, a very active
student) are more likely to consider ways to address such concerns. It is reasonable to
assume that teachers who can successfully engage and accommodate a wide range of
students in learning are less likely to refer a student out for behavior or emotional problems.
And when provided with appropriate special education aids/resources, they are more likely
to be able to include students with more severe problems.
With respect to surveying teachers understanding of mental health, here are some examples
and related research.
(1) Supporting children's mental health in schools: Teacher perceptions of needs, roles,
and barriers. Reinke, W. et al. (2011). School Psychology Quarterly, 26, 1-13.
http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=buy.optionToBuy&id=2011-05095-001
From the abstract:
“There is a significant research to practice gap in the area of mental health practices
and interventions in schools. Understanding the teacher perspective can provide
important information about contextual influences that can be used to bridge the
research to practice gap in school-based mental health practices. The purpose of this
study was to examine teachers' perceptions of current mental health needs in their
schools; their knowledge, skills, training experiences and training needs; their roles
for supporting children's mental health; and barriers to supporting mental health needs
in their school settings. Participants included 292 teachers from 5 school districts..
Teachers ... reported a global lack of experience and training for supporting children's
mental health needs. Implications of the findings are discussed.”
(2) From Yale’s Mental Health Survey Report
http://www.yale.edu/21c/pdf/Mental%20Health%20Report_042005.pdf
“In order to understand the current state of mental health in schools, we asked
parents, teachers and other school professionals to complete an online survey to let
us know their opinions...Out of 262 school professionals, 231 respondents stated they
worked with children with social problems, 230 reported working with children with
emotional problems, and 245 reported working with children with behavioral
problems...The majority of school professional espondents (79%, or 215 out of 271)
agreed that teachers are somewhat prepared to deal with these children. Only 11% felt
that teachers were not at all prepared and 10% felt that they were very prepared...”
(3) Teachers beliefs about mental health needs in inner city elementary schools.
H. Walter, et al. (2006). J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 45, 61-68.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16327582
From the abstract:
“Objective: To survey teachers' beliefs about mental health service needs in inner
city elementary schools. A total of 119 teachers from six elementary schools in a
major city in the midwestern United States were surveyed to assess their beliefs about
the major mental health problems facing their schools, the major barriers to
surmounting those problems, their preferences for mental health topics for in-service
education, and their education, experience, knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy
pertaining to mental health issues.
Results: Disruptive behavior was endorsed by approximately 50% of teachers as
the largest mental health problem facing their schools, and lack of
information/training was endorsed as the greatest barrier to surmounting mental
health problems. The highest-rated topics for in-service education were disruptive
behavior disorders and implementing behavior plans. Although most teachers had
taught students with mental health problems, most had had little education in mental
health and little consultation with mental health professionals. Correspondingly,
teachers' knowledge about mental health issues was limited, and they did not feel
confident about their ability to manage mental health problems in their classrooms.
Conclusions: Teachers would benefit from education, training, and consultation
from mental health professionals if they serve as effective gatekeepers to mental
health services.
Submit a request or comment now. UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools Dept. of Psychology, P.O.Box 951563, Los Angeles, CA 90095. tel: (310)825-3634 email: Linda Taylor ~ web: https://smhp.psych.ucla.edu
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