Fourth Edition, September 2011

When should I be concerned?
Signs that children may be struggling with mental health problems include the following:

They exhibit behaviours or moods that are not age-appropriate;

Their behaviours are much more dramatic than in their peers or

Their behaviours continue for longer than usual
These behaviours would indicate a need for closer monitoring.
Mental health is a continuum from healthy to unhealthy, and prob-
lematic behaviours are not ‘proof’ that a student has a mental 
health problem. Consider three things if you are concerned 
that one of your students may be struggling with a mental 
health problem:

Frequency: how often does the student exhibit the 
behaviours of concern?

Duration: how long do the behaviours last?

Intensity: to what extent do the behaviours interfere 
with the child’s activities?
Understanding the frequency, duration, and intensity of the be-
haviours will help to determine how serious the problem is.
Basic facts about childhood mental health problems 

Approximately 1 in 5 children and youth have a mental health problem, which includes 
anxiety and depression (Waddell & Sheppard, 2002). 

Mental health problems can seriously impair children’s ability to be successful at school 
and in their relationships with their peers. 

These children are not bad kids nor are their parents bad parents. 

Mental health problems are treatable. Early prevention is important.

Treatment can assist in reducing symptoms but does not provide a cure – the child will still 
need understanding and support.

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Making a Diff erence: An Educators’ Guide to Child and Youth Mental Health Problems
www.cymhin.ca
A 4
Mental Health in the Classroom
What can I do?
A fi rst step may be simply documenting the frequency, duration, and intensity of the behaviours that are 
causing you concern. We have included a sample form in Appendix 2 that may help you record this infor-
mation. Your school board may have their own form to record this information as well.
Once you have gathered several observations of the behaviours that are causing you concern, you will 
want to share these observations with others who can help you develop a plan to manage the behaviours.