Despite one in six young people now having a probable mental health condition, only one-third of secondary teachers have received training to support students who are struggling.
Furthermore, 82% of secondary teachers say they have seen increasing levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms among students, including low mood and disengagement.
The research has come from the Anna Freud Centre and the Early Intervention Foundation and coincides with the launch of a free resource for schools. The Classroom Wellbeing Toolkit offers teaching staff a range of evidence-based and practical strategies to support secondary-age students.
It covers five broad areas: building supportive relationshipss; creating a classroom environment where all students feel they belong; general advice for promoting good mental health; how to respond to stress, low mood, and anxiety; and preventing bullying, cyber-bullying, and sexual harassment.
