The Role of Educators in Addressing Mental Health and Wellbeing of Children and Youth
Roundtable Discussion: Juliane Dmyterko
Session A | 9:00 – 9:40 | Location: Room 1328
Abstract:
The focus on social-‐emotional wellbeing of students in schools in Canada is growing. Students with mental health issues are at-‐risk for a wide range of negative outcomes such as learning difficulties, poor achievement, social rejection, aggressive behavior, and school dropout. These outcomes have been found to exacerbate mental health issues even more. Research has found that 70-‐80% of students with mental health issues are not receiving treatment, and of those who are, 70% are receiving their primary support from their school. Educators are expected to screen and intervene with students who have a diverse range of mental health and wellbeing issues. Current research has shown that teachers are often given limited training in mental health in Teacher Education programs and as a result, many do not feel comfortable screening or intervening on necessary mental health issues. In this roundtable presentation the following questions will be explored: What role should educators have in screening and intervening on mental health issues of students? Do teachers have the training required to screen and intervene appropriately on these issues? Do teachers feel comfortable in this role?