How Teachers Can Help Children With Mental Health Problems

Mental health issues have become quite common in children and educators are often the first ones to notice that. While many of us think that a classroom is just a place where a child learns academically, it can also be a place where a child can learn how to lead a happy life. 

Increasing Mental Health Issues Among Children 

A common cause of mental health issues is a constantly changing environment. Whether it is technology, education, or society, everything is changing at a fast pace these days. Children often have to cope up with these changes. Online education can provide a flexible and supportive learning environment for children with mental health problems. They have to work hard for good grades, think about their career choices, develop extracurricular skills, learn how to be an active member of society, and of course, deal with the volcano of emotions inside them. 

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and behavior disorders are among the most common mental orders being diagnosed in childhood. According to the latest statistics: 

• 7.4% of children aged 3-17 years in the US (approximately 4.5 million) have a diagnosed behavior problem 
• 3.2% of children aged 3-17 years in the US (approximately 1.9 million) have been diagnosed with depression 
• 7.1% of children aged 3-17 years in the US (approximately 4.4 million) have been diagnosed with anxiety

Well, this is not all. Some of the conditions commonly occur together. For example, children with anxiety also happen to report behavior problems and depression. 

How can Teachers help Children with Mental Health Problems?

Teachers already have the toughest job. They generally stay with the students for six hours a day and are expected to impart all the academic knowledge in that time to the students. 

However, we cannot deny that teachers are the ones that put a great impact on a child’s development. Mostly, teachers are the first ones who inspire us in our lives. They constantly mentor us, guide us and help us move towards the right direction in life. A valuable study by the National Center for Education Statistics found that 41% of high school students experience exam stress, which can lead to negative consequences for their mental and physical health.

Think about it yourself. There must be at least one teacher in your entire academic career that you admire and have influenced you. So, why not encourage teachers to contribute to helping children with mental health problems? 

Let us see how teachers can play a big role in supporting children with mental health issues:

1. Teachers can Recognize the Early Signs 

Students with problems like anxiety, depression, or other mental health problems will always show certain symptoms. For instance, if a student hesitates in participating in the class group discussions, they might have social anxiety. If a student is not feeling comfortable participating in the food festival, they might have an eating disorder. A Career Fair for Children With Mental Health Problems could provide them with opportunities to explore potential career paths and connect with supportive employers. Sometimes, a student who has been suffering from trauma would reflect that by not being interested in solving questions in the class. 

Teachers can identify such issues amongst the students. However, they must first raise their awareness about mental health problems in students. They need to develop an empathetic side towards students suffering from such problems and must genuinely be interested in helping them out. 

2. Create a Sense of Belonging 

The classroom should not be just a place where students come to sit and learn what is being taught to them. Children must feel connected to the class and in fact the whole school. This could be done by building connections with the students and creating a positive environment in the school. Students must feel welcomed in the school, not obliged. 

Creating a helpful environment in the classroom can also benefit students in their social lives. Teachers must teach the students how being kind, polite, and helpful to each other is important. While many of us might think that this technique is quite old-fashioned, but it is what the world needs today. 

3. Students Must Feel Safe in School 

Many students start experiencing mental health issues because of a stressful environment at school. Unnecessary discipline, bullying, too much competition, and strict punishments can make them feel embarrassed and might diminish their confidence forever. School should be a place where everyone respects each other, where everyone is responsible and kind. 

This might seem a fantasy right now but we could at least try. Teachers can teach children how to stand up against bullying or how to reach out to other students who seem aloof or excluded from the whole class. Encouraging acts of kindness is what we need today to foster mental well-being in students. 

4. No Sarcasm or Aggression 

In continuation with the above point, I would like to highlight certain specific behaviors that can lower the self-esteem of the students forever. These include passing sarcastic comments in the class, punishing students just to make them realize who is the boss, disparagement, and passive aggression. Many teachers use and support these negative techniques in the classroom just to discipline students. They never think of the bigger consequences. 

Teachers must remember that none of the students chooses depression. None of them wants to feel ashamed or have low confidence. Every one of them wants to do well in their studies and their lives. Being a teacher, you have the power and the authority to help them overcome their challenges. 

5. Plan for Success

Teachers can help students excel in academics and life skills by creating an environment that supports them. For instance, they can change the way they give assignments. Instead of lengthy assignments, teachers can divide the assignments into small, manageable tasks. Teachers can help students in setting up their study schedules or building study habits. Group assignments are also a great way of teaching students how to collaborate. 

When it comes to developing life skills, teachers can organize activities in the classroom that encourage leadership, teamwork, self-confidence, and collaboration amongst the students. Here are a few ways to do that:

• Asking students to maintain a planner and a journal 
• Practicing gratitude in the class
• Helping students understand their moods
• Teaching students how to focus on things that they can control
• Helping students in finding their self-identity
• Acknowledging the emotions of the students
• Promoting meditation, mindfulness 

Key Takeaways 

Mental health problems in students, whether adolescents or adults, are an alarming issue. However, teachers can recognize these issues at an early stage and help the students overcome them. Teachers can foster good habits and positive thinking in the students, thereby increasing their self-confidence. 

However, teachers also need to take some precautions to ensure that the classroom environment is not a cause of a student’s mental health problems. They must promote a positive, responsible, and kind environment in the classroom. They must not use negative techniques just to discipline students. Last, but not least, teachers can organize several activities in the classroom that encourage students at an emotional as well as mental level. 

Author Bio

Emily James is an academic writer who provides essay help to high school and college students. She holds university degrees in English studies and Teacher Training. She has designed dissertation writing courses and provides dissertation examples. She writes blogs on education, digital marketing, and learning methodologies