Fourth Edition, September 2011

How common are child and youth mental 
health problems?
In a classroom of 30 students, about fi ve to six students will be fa-
cing a mental health problem, and three to four of them will have 
a problem that interferes with their daily life.
Ontario Child Health Study, 1985, Waddell and Shepperd, 2002
A 1
Mental Health in the Classroom

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Making a Diff erence: An Educators’ Guide to Child and Youth Mental Health Problems
www.cymhin.ca
A 2
Mental Health in the Classroom
What causes child and youth mental health problems?
Mental health problems are believed to result from a combination of factors, including: problems in the 
brain’s ‘wiring’ process during early development, genetic infl uences, chemical imbalances, brain trauma, 
and severe life stress.
Mental health problems can be triggered by the stress of schoolwork, relations with peers, confl icts with-
in the family, and diffi
culties adapting to the structure of school. Whatever the immediate trigger, mental 
health problems are usually sustained by a number of diff erent factors. This is why it is important to work 
together with the school, the family, and the community.
What are the educational implications of child and youth mental health 
problems?
When mental health problems occur in childhood, the child may have diffi
culty maintaining regular 
progress at school. Children with severe mental disorders often struggle in school and may need special 
attention guided by an individualized education plan (IEP).
Educational programs for children with mental health challenges should include attention to developing 
social skills and to increasing the self-awareness, self-control, and self-esteem they need in order to suc-
ceed academically. While these skills are important to all students, mental health problems often hinder 
children from developing these skills at the same pace as other their peers.
Students with developmental problems, physical disabilities, and learning problems may also be at high-
er risk for mental health problems. These young people often need special support and remediation to 
build social and interpersonal skills.
Alertness to indications that a child may be struggling with a mental health problem can aid greatly in 
early intervention and minimize further disruptions to the child’s schoolwork and social development. 
Information in this resource will help you to become more attuned to signs of mental health concerns and 
what you, as their teacher, can do to help students.
“My daughter’s teacher created a positive journal for her, so when something 
in school was bothering her she can get out her journal, write that negative 
thing down, and beside it she writes 6 things that happened that day that 
were positive so she can see visually there is much more to be positive about 
than to worry about the negative. It has really helped calm her down when 
she begins to worry.”
Parent of an 11-year-old girl

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A 3
Mental Health in the Classroom
Making a Diff erence: An Educators’ Guide to Child and Youth Mental Health Problems
www.cymhin.ca