Exploring Secondary Teachers’ Mental Health Self-Efficacy, Perceptions of Supporting Student Mental Health and Well-Being

<p>Research has indicated that over half of all lifetime cases of mental health conditions begin before the age of 14 years (NAMI, 2024a), making the adolescent period a critical and formative time. The unprecedented effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has been linked to more mental health problems in children and adolescent youth (Sayed et al., 2024), particularly affecting southern California school districts that implemented distance or hybrid learning models (K. Brann et al., 2022). Secondary teachers are essential referral sources and gatekeepers for linking adolescent children to mental health support (Owens et al., 2014). Given the essential role teachers play in promoting student mental health, it is imperative that teachers feel confident in fulfilling their responsibilities in supporting students with mental health problems. A quantitative approach was employed, utilizing the School Mental Health Self-Efficacy Teacher Survey (K. L. Brann et al., 2020) and additional researcher-created questions to assess secondary teacher’s mental health self-efficacy and their perceived role in preventing mental health problems and promoting mental well-being among students, including identifying obstacles and facilitators to addressing adolescent mental health. The findings indicated a significant difference between levels of teacher mental health self-efficacy and gender, years of experience, teaching role, mental health literacy training in teacher education programs, evidence of on-the-job training, and frequency in interactions with school-based mental health professionals, including a strong positive correlational relationship between teachers’ perceived roles and levels of mental health self-efficacy. Teachers’ views on the barriers and facilitators that either get in the way or aid in their ability to support students’ mental health needs were explored. The study’s discussion included outlining its strengths, gaps, and recommendations for future inquiry. Additionally, the study outlined implications for preservice and in-service teachers, school-based mental health professionals, and school leadership.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Year

2025

Author dc:creator

• Kile, Sherilyn A.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Amy-Jane Griffiths, Ph.D., Chair
• Kelly Kennedy, Ph.D.
• John Brady, Ph.D.

• adolescent mental health
• secondary teachers
• teacher mental health self-efficacy
• teacher roles
• teacher self-efficacy
• school based mental health systems
• Child Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Educational Leadership
• Educational Psychology
• Junior High, Intermediate, Middle School Education and Teaching
• Other Teacher Education and Professional Development
• School Psychology
• Secondary Education
• Secondary Education and Teaching
• Special Education and Teaching

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/education_dissertations/101

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.chapman.edu:education_dissertations-1100