Collaboration between the UN agencies creates opportunities for more specific guidelines around mental health. While a comprehensive school-health framework was commonly articulated within these documents, we identified three different conceptions of “comprehensive,” as shown diagrammatically in Figure 3. Several manuals provided a list of measurement tools and gave examples for developing an assessment approach at the school level, but without being framed within a wider approach to monitoring and evaluating national dissemination (39, 42, 43). These documents consistently included some recommendations for monitoring and evaluation, although these varied in their approaches. These globally oriented guidelines and manuals require national commitments for recommendations to be implemented, which is also supported by recommendations around monitoring and evaluation. Guidelines seemed particularly useful in informing policymakers and UN member state governments around developing national policies (17, 36, 38).
An additional challenge is that the language of “social and emotional wellbeing” is more typically used by the education sector than “mental health,” which is more commonly used by the health sector. This includes efforts by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) that require schools to assist students to develop appropriate social and emotional skills and engage in positive classroom behaviors (17, 18). There are expectations that schools have the capabilities to deliver actions to prevent, promote and support mental health problems. The primary role of schools was framed around building enabling contexts for mental health and wellbeing. Engaging stakeholders, including educators, families, mental health professionals, and community organizations, is critical in developing effective mental health policies. In a survey of school district leaders, 86% reported using Medicaid funds to support salaries for school health staff, including school psychologists, and 59% reported using these funds for mental and behavioral health services.
The importance of promoting and supporting mental health and wellbeing
See the table below for a list of states that have enacted laws to support these strategies. In addition to experiencing the human cost and social isolation brought upon by COVID-19, many children have lacked consistent time in classrooms. Additional resources are provided to help assist with trainings and comprehensive service delivery. The content should address different health experiences and behaviors for youth of all ages and abilities.
Mental health issues can significantly impair a student’s ability to learn and succeed academically. A mental wellbeing training module is available to support the teaching of mental wellbeing as part of this curriculum. Professional supervision enables leaders to work with qualified and experienced supervisors to develop strategies to support their mental wellbeing. Guidance developed with school leaders to improve workload and wellbeing for school staff is available. School and college teachers and leaders can access support for their own wellbeing and to address challenges around workload.
How can teachers identify mental health issues in students?
Guidance on policy and strategic actions for mental health and the education sector provides policy directives and strategic actions to create safe and inclusive learning environments, integrate mental health into curricula, reduce academic pressures, and offer psychosocial support for students and staff. During the pandemic, 12 states enacted laws that support strategic planning to identify barriers and approaches to increase access to school-based mental health services. The Mental health and wellbeing toolkit includes practical and accessible information for schools, parents and students on wide range of topics to support student mental health and wellbeing.
- To support the working together to improve school attendance guidance, DfE has produced guidance for schools on when a mental health issue affects attendance.
- The following applies to retired clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors who wish to volunteer their profession’s services in areas of critical need.
- These policies vary significantly with differences in specificity, resources, intended audience, scope and clarity of education content, standards development, parent removal options and requirement conditions.
- This policy review of global manuals and guidelines reveals that the UN agencies have made significant efforts to orient national governments and their schools to the importance of promoting the mental health and wellbeing of school-age children worldwide, a feature that has gained acute significance since the COVID-19 pandemic.
What are the key components of mental health policies in education?
The Joanna Briggs Institute’s guidance for synthesizing evidence from narrative, text, and opinion-based evidence was used for data synthesis for this gambling policy review. These UN policy documents are intended to serve as references for implementation but risk being inhibited by several challenges. Teachers can foster a positive classroom culture, while school administrators can promote a positive school culture. Educators and other stakeholders play a vital role in creating supportive learning environments. The intervention and support guidance may also be useful for colleges and other post-16 institutions.
Stakeholder engagement can ensure that policies are informed by diverse perspectives and meet the needs of all students. On one hand, mental health issues can significantly impact a student’s ability to learn and achieve academic success. Most district leaders also reported that cuts to Medicaid would lead to a reduction in school health staff and mental and behavioral health services.