How can education address mental health?

Both articles identified the school as a prime location to prevent, identify, diagnose and treat student’s mental illnesses.  The Canadian Teacher’s Federation manual on ‘Understanding Teacher’s Perspectives on Student Mental Health’ stated that “the school environment is an ideal place to begin the work of addressing mental health.  Not only does the school offer a simple and cost-effective way of reaching youth, it is also a place where mental health can be linked with other aspects of health, such as physical health and nutrition, and with learning.”  Their findings from a National Survey identified that students with mental illnesses are less likely to achieve academic success, which they conclude as evidence that schools should play a critical role in “promoting and protecting the metal health of all students.”   McLoone et al. acknowledge the demands that schools and teachers are already faced with, but still argue that the advantages are greater, “school staff are in an excellent positon to monitor children, especially those at risk, and intervene with prevention and early intervention programs prior to the development of major dysfunction.”  While I am inclined to agree with the unique advantage that schools could play as sites for identification, diagnoses and treatment of student’s mental illnesses I do not see it working.  From the perspective of a teacher, taking on the additional responsibility is overwhelming, in order to make this a priority something else in the busy teacher schedule would have to give.  What current teacher roles would suffer to take on mental illnesses in schools?  What would the training for teachers look like?  How would it be funded?  Where funding would be cut in order to support it?  Would rural schools share personnel who are trained in the diagnoses?  If so, what would the wait time look like for an individual?  What would the reporting process look like?  How many reports would be required to be considered priority?  While diagnosis and treatment would be very difficult to integrate into a school setting, streamlining identification and promoting prevention could be a real possibility.  I am definitely on board with opening up the dialogue on mental health with my students. 

Froese-Germain, B., & Riel, R. (2012). Understanding teachers’ perspectives on student mental health: Findings from a national survey. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Teachers’ Federation

McLoone, J., Hudson, J., & Rapee, R. (2006). Treating Anxiety Disorders in a School Setting. Education and Treatment of Children, 29(2), 219-242.