By: Natasha Jasperson
The growing concern over mental health issues in schools has sparked widespread debate among educators, parents, and policymakers. With a reported amount of sixty-nine percent of public school students facing challenges such as anxiety, depression, and trauma, some schools have responded by implementing mental health interventions like social-emotional learning (SEL), restorative justice practices, and expanding access to mental health professionals. Advocates argue that these initiatives foster emotional well-being and improve academic and behavioral outcomes. However, critics contend that schools may not be equipped to diagnose and address mental health effectively, suggesting that current practices may be flawed and, in some cases, exacerbate student difficulties.
What’s driving the numbers?
The amount of reported mental health issues among students have risen significantly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2021, more than 4 in 10 (42%) students felt persistently sad or hopeless, and nearly one-third (29%) experienced poor mental health. Furthermore, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reported in 2022 that nearly 15% of youth ages 10-19 suffer from a mental health disorder. However, the rate of misdiagnosis also increases with the rate of mental health concerns.
A contentious point is the potential for over-diagnosis, misdiagnosis, and labeling of students. Each of these can have unintended negative consequences. Critics argue that schools may be too quick to label students with mental health conditions. They worry that a lack of thorough assessments necessary for a correct diagnosis will cause the students’ mislabeling and affect their ability to receive the proper treatment. This can cause students to be stigmatized, placed into inappropriate interventions, or treated for conditions they do not have.
“Imagine treating a child for cancer for years only to find out they were misdiagnosed. The damage done by the “cure” or treatment is irreversible and will have a lifelong impact,” said Co-Founder and Content and Solutions Manager of Freedom In Education (FIE), Beanie Geoghegan. “Misdiagnosing and treating mental illness are just as dangerous and harmful, though the scars may be less visible. Schools are not mental health facilities and should not presume to act as such.”
Should schools respond ?
Amid the rise in numbers, many schools have begun to implement strategies aimed to support students’ mental health, such as social-emotional learning (SEL), restorative justice, and additional resources. SEL is an educational method that aims to help children develop social and emotional skills that help students regulate their emotions. CASEL reported that 83% of schools in the United States currently use an SEL curriculum. Restorative justice practices aim to reduce punitive discipline measures like suspensions and focus instead on conflict resolution. Many schools have opted to hire more mental health professionals, such as counselors, psychologists, and social workers, to support students directly. Mindfulness programs and peer support initiatives are other intervention methods that are becoming more commonplace in schools. These are all efforts to address mental health issues within the student population.
Critics believe school-based interventions, such as SEL and restorative justice, lack effectiveness. They argue that the focus on teaching students to self-regulate or resolve conflicts does not lead to the adequate skills they purport to teach. Some teachers have even complained about the amount of instructional time dedicated to SEL while others blame low test scores on the distraction of SEL instruction. SEL lacks a strong emphasis on the moral aspects of character development. In fact, Deborah Caldwell with Lancet Psychiatry reported that there was weak evidence to suggest that cognitive behavioral interventions, such as SEL and restorative justice, might reduce anxiety and depression in primary and secondary settings.
“SEL teaches students to focus on their emotions. It is unhealthy for children or adults to spend too much time dwelling on negative feelings. Aside from the fact that SEL costs schools millions of dollars and robs students of valuable learning time, there is no evidence that it actually helps students deal with their emotions,” said Geoghegan. “Restorative practices (RP) in schools have led to a decline in behavior expectations, a lack of accountability for personal choices, and an increase in violent incidents in the classroom. Rather than learning that poor choices lead to negative consequences, students quickly learn they can get away with anything and suffer few or no consequences. Sadly, repeat offenders are often flagged by school staff as in need of mental health when they just need clear boundaries and consistent rules. RP harms the students who don’t learn to follow the rules at an early age and the other twenty-five students who are robbed of a calm learning environment due to that one student.”
Advocates for more mental health services in schools feel that schools play– and should play– a crucial role in addressing mental health concerns. The rationale behind this view is that students spend most of their time at school. Marc S. Atkins with the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Institute for Juvenile Justice found that schools are where over 70% of students seek and receive mental health services. He contends that this makes schools an environment where mental health concerns can be addressed early and support services provided. Proponents believe that integrating mental health services into schools will ensure all students have access to care, particularly those who may not have access outside of school.
“Schools should play a central role in addressing students’ mental health needs. Schools are uniquely positioned to identify and support students who may be struggling with mental health issues due to their daily interactions with students. For example, teachers and school staff often notice changes in a student’s behavior, such as withdrawal, aggression, or a decline in academic performance, which can be early indicators of mental health issues,” said Senior Director of the Center for Psychology in Schools and Education, Dr. Nicole Barnes. “By integrating mental health services within the school environment, we can ensure that students receive timely and accessible support. If schools do not respond to children’s mental health issues, the negative effects can be profound. Students may experience worsening symptoms, leading to chronic absenteeism, academic failure, and even dropping out of school.”
A critical component of this approach is having more mental health professionals in schools. The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) recommends a ratio of one school psychologist per five-hundred students. The current NASP data estimates that there is currently a ratio of one school psychologist per 1,211 students. School counselors, psychologists, and social workers can work directly with students, providing support services, crisis interventions, and referrals to external services in their time of need. They can also work with teachers and administrations to create a supportive environment that promotes the well-being of students.
“Common ground between mental health professionals, educators, and critics of school-based interventions can be found in the shared goal of promoting student well-being and academic success,” Dr. Barnes said. “By focusing on evidence-based practices and ensuring that mental health services are delivered by qualified professionals, we can address concerns about the effectiveness and appropriateness of school-based interventions. Additionally, involving parents and the community in the planning and implementation of mental health programs can help build trust and support for these initiatives.”
Almost half of public schools moderately or strongly agreed that they could effectively provide mental health services to all students in need, according to data released by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES). Reasons for being unable to provide services ranged from lack of funding to a lack of access to mental health professionals. The latter is reported in more rural areas of the United States.
However, the amount of funding for these types of services has grown– and is growing. In fact, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration boosted grant funding for these programs. Including only its Projects AWARE and LAUNCH, mental-health awareness training, and suicide prevention aimed generally at youth, funding requests have grown from $122 million in fiscal year 2015 to nearly $296 million in fiscal year 2025—a 140 percent surge. For Social Emotional Learning efforts, the federal government offers at least 12 federal grants, many through the Department of Education, and the amount available nearly doubled between 2021-22.
The CDC recommends six in-school strategies to promote and support mental health and well-being. These strategies include increasing students’ mental health literacy, promoting mindfulness, promoting social, emotional, and behavioral learning, providing relationship-building programs, providing psychosocial skills training, providing cognitive behavioral interventions, and supporting school staff well-being. The combination of these strategies is encouraged to support students’ well-being and prevent violence or self-harm.
“While academics are a primary focus, they are not the only focus of schools. Schools have long included physical education, art education, music education, and other programs because we understand that success in these areas contributes to overall student development. The same is true for mental health. We are not suggesting that providing mental health services should be the primary focus of schools, but it does need to be a focus,” said Dr. Barnes. “From a population health perspective, we have an obligation to ensure that all students are thriving. Schools are often the primary support system for many students, making it essential to address their mental health needs.”
Critics argue that schools are not the best institutions to handle mental health diagnosis and treatment. One of the primary concerns is that teachers and administrators are not qualified and adequately trained to recognize and address mental health conditions in their complexity. Despite well-intentioned efforts, critics argue that school staff don’t have the specialized expertise needed to treat mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and trauma.
Katie Eklund, a school psychologist and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said that in the 2021-2022 school year, 88 percent of schools surveyed said that they didn’t strongly believe they could provide effective in-school mental-health services to needy students. The lack of skills can do more harm to children than intended. The National Institute of Education Statistics reported in March 2024 that 84% of public schools provided individual-based mental health interventions for students.
“Schools are charged with the education of children. They are not responsible for their mental health or happiness. While teachers spend a lot of time with children, they are not equipped or qualified to diagnose mental health issues,” Geoghegan said. “The teachers I’ve spoken to don’t want that responsibility. They have always been “mandatory reporters” tasked with alerting the proper authorities if they notice any signs of neglect or abuse, and that is where their responsibility should end. They are trained to teach, not practice psychology.”
Schools can be the very environment that triggers mental health problems, such as stress, bullying, and academic pressure. This raises concerns over whether schools are the appropriate places for treating mental health issues. The school environment can be a contributing factor for some students. Poorly handled interventions can worsen a student’s mental state, especially if the underlying problem is not adequately addressed and the environment is a stressor. It is for these reasons that critics are concerned about whether schools have the resources and expertise to address mental health conditions.
“Most of what is labeled as a “mental health problem” today is simply a natural and normal part of the human experience,” said Geoghegan. “ We are teaching children to believe that every time they are sad or lonely, they should seek therapy and/or medication. We’re normalizing lifelong universal therapy at a very early age. It’s no wonder that the mental health industry advocates for it.”
The debate over mental health in schools sheds light on the complexities of addressing student well-being. While advocates believe schools are well-positioned to provide critical services and interventions, critics have raised concerns over the potential harm of current practices and schools’ limitations in providing adequate services.
