“We could end up in a lot of trouble”: teachers’ communications with young children about mental health

Abstract

Purpose

Stigma towards people with mental health problems is a significant problem and appears trenchant despite recent anti-stigma campaigns. Attitudes develop in young children, and may be stronger and less malleable in adolescence. Early intervention may be important for mental health education and stigma prevention. Theory, evidence and practical considerations all suggest that teachers’ involvement is key. By exploring communication about mental health between teachers and young children, it will be possible to elaborate how stigma develops and may be ameliorated. The purpose of this paper is to explore teachers’ accounts of this communication and the factors that influence it.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews with 15 primary school teachers were transcribed and analysed using a grounded theory approach.

Findings

Discussions about mental health were largely absent from the classroom, due to teachers’ anxiety. Teachers felt the need to protect children from exposure to people with mental health problems and even from information about the topic, believed they lacked the necessary expertise, worried that such discussions were outside their remit and were anxious about parents’ reactions.

Originality/value

This was the first study to interview teachers on this topic and suggests that a significant opportunity to address fear and stigma is being missed. Teachers’ silence may reinforce that mental health problems are taboo, and prevent children from developing knowledge and a language to talk about mental health. The inclusion of teachers in early mental health education and could promote better understanding and more inclusive attitudes, especially if supported by educational policy and curriculum.

Citation

Cooke, A., King, J. and Greenwood, K. (2016), "“We could end up in a lot of trouble”: teachers’ communications with young children about mental health", Journal of Public Mental Health, Vol. 15 No. 2, pp. 103-114. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-01-2016-0006