Schools are uniquely positioned to support the mental health needs of today’s youth—but new research reveals that teachers often pay the price, shouldering the burden of implementing school-wide mental health programs without adequate budgets or training. 

In a study presented at this year’s AERA conference, researchers analyzed dozens of school-based mental health programs and found that schools often rushed into them without fully considering “the strain of resource and time pressures resulting from the integration of mental health programming into already demanding school schedules.”

Against a backdrop of elevated levels of anxiety, depression, and substance abuse, the mental health needs of students can’t go unaddressed. Yet as teachers juggle multiple roles, “insufficient training to adequately support students’ mental health needs” can leave teachers feeling like they’re “doing something wrong.” Understanding these side effects isn't about abandoning school-wide mental health initiatives, the researchers note—it’s about implementing them within realistic limits.