Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Secondary school teachers’ experiences of supporting mental health

Secondary school teachers’ experiences of supporting mental health Teachers are often the first contact for students with mental health difficulties. They are in an ideal position to identify students who are struggling and frequently support them using different approaches and techniques. The purpose of this paper is to investigate secondary school teachers’ experiences of supporting the mental health of their students.Design/methodology/approachSeven secondary school teachers from state-funded schools in the UK participated in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to understand and structure the data into themes.FindingsFive superordinate themes emerged from the data analysis: perceived role of teacher, nature of relationship, barriers to helping the child, amount of training and resource, and helplessness and satisfaction. Participants described the lack of training, resource and clarity about their role to be causes of frustration. Internal and environmental factors often influenced participants’ feelings of helplessness.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings from this study cannot be readily generalised to the wider population due to the nature of qualitative interviews.Practical implicationsThis study has led to a greater understanding of the experiences of teachers within a school setting. It is crucial that mental health training for teachers directly meets their needs and abilities.Originality/valueThis paper finds value in recognising the lived experience and difficulties faced by teachers supporting students’ mental health problems. A theoretical model is presented based on this analysis that can help inform best practice for schools. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice Emerald Publishing

Secondary school teachers’ experiences of supporting mental health

Download PDF
12 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/emerald-publishing/secondary-school-teachers-experiences-of-supporting-mental-health-1csD1zp4UY
Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
© Emerald Publishing Limited
ISSN
1755-6228
DOI
10.1108/jmhtep-10-2018-0056
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Teachers are often the first contact for students with mental health difficulties. They are in an ideal position to identify students who are struggling and frequently support them using different approaches and techniques. The purpose of this paper is to investigate secondary school teachers’ experiences of supporting the mental health of their students.Design/methodology/approachSeven secondary school teachers from state-funded schools in the UK participated in face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to understand and structure the data into themes.FindingsFive superordinate themes emerged from the data analysis: perceived role of teacher, nature of relationship, barriers to helping the child, amount of training and resource, and helplessness and satisfaction. Participants described the lack of training, resource and clarity about their role to be causes of frustration. Internal and environmental factors often influenced participants’ feelings of helplessness.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings from this study cannot be readily generalised to the wider population due to the nature of qualitative interviews.Practical implicationsThis study has led to a greater understanding of the experiences of teachers within a school setting. It is crucial that mental health training for teachers directly meets their needs and abilities.Originality/valueThis paper finds value in recognising the lived experience and difficulties faced by teachers supporting students’ mental health problems. A theoretical model is presented based on this analysis that can help inform best practice for schools.

Journal

The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice – Emerald Publishing

Published: Sep 12, 2019

Keywords: Qualitative; School; Teachers; Mental health; Adolescence; Interpretative phenomenological analysis

References

  • Mental health training programs for secondary school teachers: a systematic review
    Anderson, M.; Werner-Seidler, A.; King, C.; Gayed, A.; Harvey, S.B.; O’Dea, B.
  • Mental health issues in the schools: are educators prepared?
    Andrews, A.; McCabe, M.; Wideman-Johnston, T.
  • Cost assessment of a school-based mental health screening and treatment program in New York City
    Chatterji, P.; Caffray, C.M.; Crowe, M.; Freeman, L.; Jensen, P.
  • Overheard in the halls: what adolescents are saying, and what teachers are hearing, about health issues
    Cohall, A.T.; Dye, B.; Dini, S.; Vaughan, R.D.; Coots, S.
  • Future in mind – promoting, protecting and improving our children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing
  • Government response to the consultation on transforming children and young people’s mental health provision: a green paper and next steps
  • Mental health interventions in schools in high-income countries
    Fazel, M.; Hoagwood, K.; Stephan, S.; Ford, T.
  • ‘Teachers’ attitudes towards child mental health services
    Ford, T.; Nikapota, A.
  • Predictors of service use for mental health problems among British schoolchildren
    Ford, T.; Hamilton, H.; Meltzer, H.; Goodman, R.
  • An exploration of the perceptions and experiences of living with chronic anorexia nervosa while an inpatient on an eating disorders unit: an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) study
    Fox, J.R.; Diab, P.
  • School-based treatment for anxious African-American adolescents: a controlled pilot study
    Ginsburg, G.S.; Drake, K.L.
  • Sustainability of teacher implementation of school-based mental health programs
    Han, S.S.; Weiss, B.
  • Part and parcel of teaching? Secondary school staff’s views on supporting student emotional health and well‐being
    Kidger, J.; Gunnell, D.; Biddle, L.; Campbell, R.; Donovan, J.
  • A narrative framework for understanding experiences of people with severe mental illnesses
    Kirkpatrick, H.
  • We don’t know how to help: an online survey of school staff
    Knightsmith, P.; Treasure, J.; Schmidt, U.
  • Improving the recognition of depression in adolescence: can we teach the teachers?
    Moor, S.; Ann, M.; Hester, M.; Elisabeth, W.J.; Robert, E.; Robert, W.; Caroline, B.
  • Efficacy and effectiveness of school-based prevention and early intervention programs for anxiety
    Neil, A.L.; Christensen, H.
  • Mental health related contact with education professionals in the British child and adolescent mental health survey 2004
    Newlove-Delgado, T.; Moore, D.; Ukoumunne, O.C.; Stein, K.; Ford, T.
  • Supporting children’s mental health in schools: teacher perceptions of needs, roles, and barriers
    Reinke, W.M.; Stormont, M.; Herman, K.C.; Puri, R.; Goel, N.
  • Teachers’ views of issues involving students’ mental health
    Roeser, R.W.; Midgley, C.
  • Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and schools: Inter-agency collaboration and communication
    Rothi, D.; Leavey, G.
  • On the front-line: teachers as active observers of pupils’ mental health
    Rothì, D.M.; Leavey, G.; Best, R.
  • Who first suggests the diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder?
    Sax, L.; Kautz, K.J.
  • Reflecting on the development of interpretative phenomenological analysis and its contribution to qualitative research in psychology
    Smith, J.A.
  • Being depleted and being shaken: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of the experiential features of a first episode of depression
    Smith, J.A.; Rhodes, J.E.
  • Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups
    Tong, A.; Sainsbury, P.; Craig, J.
  • Mental health, job satisfaction and occupational stress among UK teachers
    Travers, C.J.; Cooper, C.L.
  • Teachers’ beliefs about mental health needs in inner city elementary schools
    Walter, H.J.; Gouze, K.; Lim, K.G.