Mental Health

Subtopics

At-Risk Children

Conduct Issues

School-Based Mental Health Services

Substance Use

Suicide Management

Training, Partnership, and Capacity Building

Promote better student outcomes through mental health programs and support.

Mental health is an important part of a child’s overall health and well-being. It can affect how children think, feel, and act and is shaped by a combination of individual and community factors. Mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation have become more common among young people.

K-12 schools are critical partners in supporting the mental health and well-being of students. In addition to education, schools provide opportunities for social, mental health, and physical health services that can help protect against negative outcomes. Schools can also serve as communities of support, connecting students to caring adults and encouraging positive peer relationships.

School mental health programming can include an array of services that address prevention, early intervention, and treatment needs of students. By supporting students who are experiencing mental health challenges, schools can help foster a sense of safety, prevent worsening of mental health conditions, and create better outcomes.

Strategies to Consider

There are several strategies schools and districts can implement to support student mental health and well-being. Some of these measures include:

Provide access to school-based mental health services and/or connect students and their families to community providers and resources.
Implement multi-tiered systems of support that address students’ academic, behavioral, mental health, and social and emotional needs.
Increase student and staff mental health literacy through classroom-based activities, training, and curricula.
Promote social, emotional, and behavioral learning programs that improve students’ social skills and emotional development.
Integrate trauma-informed practices that recognize, respond to, and support students affected by traumatic stress.
Foster positive, safe, and affirming learning environments and engage families to build school connectedness.

Featured Resources

These resources are a starting point for learning more about mental health. Use these resources to support the mental health needs of students, educators, and staff.

Additionally, SchoolSafety.gov regularly publishes issue briefs that provide a high-level overview of a specific school safety topic as well as a sampling of aligned strategies, resources, programs, and tools. Download and explore mental health-related issue briefs below.

Program

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Department of Health and Human Services

This program offers 24/7 call, text and chat access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing suicidal, substance use, and/or mental health crisis, or any other kind of emotional distress. The corresponding webpage provides additional resources and information for strengthening suicide prevention and mental health crisis services.

Report

Social Media and Youth Mental Health - The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory

Department of Health and Human Services, 2023

This advisory describes the current evidence on the impacts of social media on the mental health of children and adolescents. It states that we cannot conclude social media is sufficiently safe for children and adolescents and outlines immediate steps to mitigate the risk of harm to children and adolescents.

Webpage

Protecting Youth From the Harms of Vaping

Department of Health and Human Services

This webpage provides information and resources on how educators, parents and guardians, health care professionals, and communities can help youth reject or quit vaping and other tobacco products.

Webpage

Creating Trauma-Informed Schools

Department of Health and Human Services

This webpage features tools and materials to help educators, school staff, and administrators understand and respond to the specific needs of traumatized children in a school setting.

Filter Resources

- Prevent
- Protect and Mitigate
- Respond and Recover

- At-Risk Children
- Conduct Issues
- School-Based Mental Health Services
- Substance Use
- Suicide Management
- Training, Partnership, and Capacity Building

All Mental Health Resources

Access additional resources below to learn more about mental health and related best practices. Use the filters to sort resources based on subtopic and/or preparedness action.

Fact Sheet

Helping School-Age Children with Traumatic Grief: Tips for Caregivers

Department of Health and Human Services, 2014

This tip sheet describes how school-age children may feel when struggling with the death of someone close and offers tips on what caregivers can do to help.

Fact Sheet

Helping Youth After Community Trauma: Tips for Educators

Department of Health and Human Services, 2014

This tip sheet lists common reactions educators might see in the students with whom they work and suggestions on how they may help after community trauma. It describes how traumatic events, such as a natural disaster, school violence, or the traumatic death of a peer or educator, can affect students’ learning, behavior, and relationships.

Fact Sheet

Talking to Children about the Shooting

Department of Health and Human Services, 2014

This tip sheet describes ways to talk to children about mass violence events that involve a shooting. It gives tips about how to start the conversation, common reactions children may have, and how to seek help if needed.