Teachers, Your Teen Students Need to Talk About Mental Health

Supporting 6–12 Students Through Trauma and Stress with Social and Emotional Learning

Published in

Inspired Ideas

4 min readFeb 15, 2019

Educators and researchers agree that social and emotional (SEL) supports should be embedded into curriculum far beyond elementary school. Middle and high school students need robust SEL instruction, too. Just like academic curriculum, these supports should evolve as students grow, learn, and grapple with different challenges at each stage of their lives. Secondary SEL instruction should be relevant to students, accessible, and reflective of their diverse backgrounds and experiences.

For today’s teens, immediate SEL needs are tied closely to mental health. A recent report from the American Psychological Association revealed that Gen Z students (ages 15–21) are most likely of all generations to report poor mental health. They’re also the most likely to seek professional help for mental health issues. The report indicated that teens are stressed by high-profile issues, such as gun violence, sexual harassment, and immigration-related issues — they’re even more stressed than adults overall about issues in the news (1).

Social and emotional learning instruction and supports have long been acknowledged as an effective mechanism for addressing mental health issues in a school environment. While educators cannot and should not replace mental health professionals, the school is inevitably a space where students spend a great deal of their time, are expected to function and thrive, and interact with adults and peers. The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) recognizes schools for their “unique ability to access large numbers of children,” and notes that they are “most commonly identified as the best place to provide supports to promote the universal mental health of children.” Teachers and district leaders can contribute to teens’ mental health by creating positive school climates, weaving SEL into curriculum, coordinating with families and the community, and developing policies that are sensitive to students who are struggling with mental health (2).

Trauma-Informed Teaching Practices

In response to the high levels of stress among Gen Z, sometimes directly in relation to gun violence trauma, migration, or cultural trauma, many educators have increased their attention and dedication to trauma-informed teaching practices. Relevant for all students (and considering that we can’t know if a student has experienced trauma), trauma-informed practices draw from common principles of social and emotional learning, learning science, and lots of empathy from educators to ensure all students are heard, empowered, and cared for in the classroom. Trauma-informed practices are available to all educators — teacher Diane Wolk-Rogers began pursuing trauma-informed training after her students experienced gun violence trauma, and Laura Lukens uses her trauma expertise specifically to support English learners in her district who have undergone trauma as a result of migration or cultural challenges. As you explore approaches to support the mental health and social and emotional development of your teen students, consider how trauma-informed teaching practices could strengthen your overall school climate.

Integrating SEL & Mental Health into Academics

Research strongly suggests that social and emotional learning should be integrated into academic learning, not exclusively treated as a stand-alone instructional practice. Integrating SEL instruction into academic learning helps educators prioritize SEL and allows students the opportunity to practice SEL skills throughout the day in a natural, intuitive, and applicable space.

In middle and high school, as many students are grappling with the effects of trauma or poor mental health, integrating social and emotional learning practices into the curriculum is still necessary — and for teens, this can be as simple as creating an environment conducive to having conversations about mental health and trauma, and providing teens with the resources to cope with their experiences and feelings. It’s critical that these resources be accessible to all students, relevant to their lives, and reflective of their experiences. Put simply, they should be equitable — made available in multiple languages, introduced in a culturally-responsive environment, and relevant.

ELA and literacy classes are often a natural fit to introduce these resources and leverage them to spark a meaningful, open conversation with your students about mental health. To engage a generation that’s attuned to a larger national conversation, look to current events, young adult novels, or cultural figures for readings that address mental health. StudySync, a 6–12 ELA program, has recently partnered with The Player’s Tribune to prioritize SEL and integrate relevant content into ELA curriculum, including this article from basketball star Kevin Love about the stigma surrounding men and boys dealing with mental health.

As a national community of educators, researchers, learning scientists, and content providers, we have a long way to go in sufficiently supporting students to manage evolving social, emotional, trauma-based and mental health challenges in and out of the classroom. But as we continue prioritize the needs of students and recognize their feelings and experiences, we’re moving to a place will educators will be well-equipped to improve the lives of every student.