“The information and resources shared have equipped our students with the knowledge to navigate their emotions healthily and the understanding that they are not alone. […] It is partnerships like these that enrich our educational community, providing support and guidance that extends beyond the classroom” – Educator (April 2024)
What is mental health?
Mental health and wellness include the thoughts, feelings and experiences that contribute to an individual’s overall mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. Mental health can be impacted by a number of different things that are unique to each person, so no one person’s experience is the same. According to Garriguet’s Portrait of Youth in Canada: Data Report for Statistics Canada, “Canadian youth reported worse mental health than older Canadians both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their mental health was also poorer than it was 20 years ago.”[1] Educators have a key role to play in helping promote the importance of mental health and well-being and in reducing the stigma associated with mental health challenges, illnesses or disorders.
Mental health is different for everyone and can change over the course of a person’s life; your physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual well-being can all contribute to your mental health. Similar to how people experience fluctuations in their physical health, we all go through challenges or experience that can impact our mental health. People who actively take care of their mental health can be better equipped to deal with challenging life events and are more likely to:
- attend school regularly and actively engage in learning processes
- achieve academic success and enjoy their school career
- make well-thought-out decisions and avoid high risk behaviors
- become more involved in school and community activities, and
- have greater appreciation for diversity and empathy towards others.
How can we support student mental wellness?
All members of the school community – administrators, teachers, support staff, students and families – can play an active role in encouraging mental wellness. Adopting a community approach is one of the most effective ways to promote mental wellness and well-being. Some suggestions for increasing mental health awareness in schools are:
- actively promoting mental health (e.g. school-wide mural)
- making information about mental health readily available (e.g. posters, social media postings, newsletter inserts)
- providing professional development opportunities focused on mental well-being to staff members that includes learning to identify mental health challenges or concerns
- weaving mental health topics into curricula to increase awareness and destigmatize help-seeking behaviours
- encouraging students to report incidents of discrimination, harassment and bullying as well as responding to these reports in a timely manner
- organizing extracurricular activities that are inclusive and give students the opportunity to try new things (e.g. sports teams, student council, debate club)
- providing opportunities for students to develop emotional regulation and stress management skills (e.g. yoga/meditation club)
- developing programs that support school transitions (e.g. high school tours for junior high students, opportunities for high school students to ‘shadow’ university students)
- encouraging both students and staff to take care of their minds and bodies in ways that make most sense to them (e.g.: exercise, nutrition, proper rest, activities, self-care, etc)
- giving students the opportunity to take breaks to refocus (e.g. stretching, moving, meditating, social time, etc.) as well as encouraging them to break large tasks into more manageable pieces
Conversations about mental health can be challenging. However, they are an important part of reducing stigma. Talking with students about mental well-being can help them to better understand and cope with specific challenges as well as feel more empowered to seek help when needed.
Before facilitating discussions about mental health, it is important to create guidelines to ensure the safety of all students. This could be done prior to the start of a classroom conversation or in collaboration with students. Guidelines about maintaining confidentiality and using respectful language can help to keep a discussion about mental health on track and increase student comfort.
What can we do if a student is struggling with their mental health?
When an educator observes that a student is struggling with their mental health, it is preferable to speak to them privately to respect their privacy and create a safe space in a one-on-one manner When speaking to a student about their mental health, the following suggestions may be helpful:
- Focus on observable behaviours
It can be helpful to focus on the behavior that has been noticed rather than making assumptions about the underlying cause of the behaviour. This is more likely to encourage a meaningful conversation and avoid putting the student on the defensive. For example, if a student has been crying in class, it is better to focus on the behaviour rather than asking the student if they are feeling depressed.
- Communicate respect for the student
It can be difficult to overcome the ‘power structure’ of an educator-student relationship. Expressing genuine concern for a student’s well-being can help to build rapport, establish trust and identify some of the emotions that a student may be feeling, such as embarrassment, sadness, anger or worry. Validating and showing empathy with the emotions that students are experiencing can promote understanding between an educator and a student.
- Reinforce the efforts the student has made so far
Coping with mental health challenges is not easy and it is important to acknowledge the steps the student has already taken, however small, to cope with their difficulties. By highlighting what the student has already done to take care of themselves, they may become more confident and willing to seek further support.
- Assist the student in connecting with both school and community resources
Students who are struggling with their mental health may be unaware of what resources are available to them. Inform students about the mental health resources that are available at school such as counselling or peer support groups. Encourage the student to reach out to other mental health professionals such as doctors and therapists.
What resources at Kids Help Phone are available to help support young people?
Kids Help Phone provides many different services to support young people in Canada. It is an excellent resource for young people who want to learn more about mental wellness as well as those who are managing with their mental health. Some of the resources that Kids Help Phone provides include:
- Professional Counselling
Young people can connect with a professional counsellor 24/7 by calling 1-800-668-6868. Telephone counselling services are offered in over 100 different languages with the help of trained interpreters. All counseling services are anonymous and confidential.
- Crisis Support
Young people can message online (https://connect.crisistextlineca.org) or text the word ‘connect’ to the number 686868 to text with a trained, volunteer crisis responder in English or French 24/7. Crisis support is confidential, but not anonymous.
- Community Space
Young people can connect with other youth through a collection of moderated support forums. Youth can anonymously share their personal experiences, offer inspirations and ask questions to connect, comfort and cheer each other on (https://peertopeer.kidshelpphone.ca/). Youth can also share creative content at the Feel Out Loud Community Creator Space (https://kidshelpphone.ca/feel-out-loud-community-creator-space).
Kids Help Phone is driven to remove and reduce barriers to access and support. Based on the young people who reached out to Kids Help Phone through their texting service in 2023:
- 10% of survey respondents identified as Indigenous, which is 2x the overall Canadian population (5%)
- 6% of survey respondents identified as Black, which is nearly 1.5x the overall Canadian population (4%)
- 52% of survey respondents identified as 2SLGBTQ+
What resources at Kids Help Phone are available to help support educators?
Kids Help Phone also has resources that can help you, help your students:
- Kids Help Phone Website (https://kidshelpphone.ca)
Kids Help Phone’s website is a valuable resource for people of all ages (both youth and caring adults) to learn more about mental wellness. Resources include:
- quizzes, games and activities to learn about topics related to mental health and well-being
- informative articles about topics relevant to young people
- information about physical and virtual support programs available in the community (https://kidshelpphone.ca/resources-around-me/)
- Counsellor in the Classroom
Kids Help Phone’s Counsellor in the Classroom program allows students across Canada (Grades 4-12) to learn about mental health and wellness from a professional counsellor. Educators are provided with a resource booklet with mental health activities and their class participates in a virtual session with a professional counsellor. The professional counsellor will talk with students about services provided by Kids Help Phone, open a discussion about mental health topics relevant to young people and answer any student questions (https://kidshelpphone.ca/get-involved/are-you-an-educator-check-out-counsellor-in-the-classroom).
Everyone can experience challenges with their mental health, and it is important that students have the opportunity to learn about mental well-being. The school system plays an important role helping promote the importance of mental health and well-being and in reducing the stigma associated with mental health challenges. By adopting a community approach within the school, educators can increase awareness mental wellness and empower young people to seek help when needed. When talking with students about mental health it is important to provide support, understanding and acceptance.
By: Rose Nijhawan, Kids Help Phone Counsellor
[1] Garriguet, D. (2021, February 1). Chapter 1: Health of youth in Canada. Retrieved from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/42-28-0001/2021001/article/00001-eng.htm
