November 18, 2025
Student mental health support: What role should teachers play?
Study highlights need for clearer guidance, resources and training as schools step up to meet growing mental health demands
Teachers play a central role in students’ lives, guiding their academic development and shaping the classroom environment. As mental health issues among children and adolescents continue to rise, schools are increasingly seen as key places for recognising and supporting student wellbeing. But does the expectation for teachers to help with mental health go beyond their core responsibilities as educators?
New , led by the 榴莲视频app of 榴莲视频app’s (UOW) , aimed to untangle this complex question, revealing differing opinions across the community. The findings highlight the complexity of expectations placed on schools today.
“Community feedback was divided,” said Dr Moore, a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education with a background in psychology and teaching. “Instead of expecting teachers to provide comprehensive mental health care, many parents and caregivers want teachers to be able to identify when students may be struggling and act as trusted adults who support, guide and connect them with appropriate help when needed.”
Published in Frontiers in Psychiatry, the pilot study involved interviews with parents, teachers, community members, and mental health professionals in a rural school setting. While some participants believed teachers should focus solely on supporting learning and creating safe, positive classrooms, others expected teachers to also identify when students may be struggling and to connect them with appropriate support.
Teachers' foundational knowledge – engaging students in learning, building positive relationships, and creating classroom environments where all students feel valued – is itself protective for mental health, the study found. However, it also uncovered widespread concerns that teachers are under pressure to respond to complex mental health needs without enough training or clear boundaries.
Dr Moore said ensuring teachers have access to evidence-based training and support could help clarify their responsibilities and enable them to respond confidently when students need help.
“The results suggested that teachers should provide support and address the needs of students as learners, which underpins wellbeing in school environments,” Dr Moore said. “If supporting mental health is expected, then educators should have access to ongoing, evidence-based training. It’s about ensuring teachers can identify when students may be struggling and know how to connect them with help.”
The findings highlight the need for clear policies and professional development, and to clarify the role of teachers in supporting student mental health.
About the research
‘Attitudes towards teachers supporting student mental health in rural contexts: a pilot study examining community perspectives’, by Brian Moore, Sarah Redshaw, Nicole Masters, Erin Mackenzie, Roberto Hernan Parada and Lena Danaia, was published in Frontiers in Psychiatry: