Mental Health at School
Nothing here is diagnosis or treatment. The teacher's role is to recognise signs, adjust the environment and refer to the network — what falls outside that role is stated explicitly in each strategy.
- available resources
- 20
- available resources
- Pedagogical Strategies
- 7
- Pedagogical Strategies
- Specialized Courses
- 5
- Specialized Courses
Recognise signs, do not diagnose
The teacher spends the most time with the student and usually notices the change first. Noticing and referring is the role — diagnosing is not.
- The relevant signal is change: the student who was one way and no longer is
- Record what you observed objectively, with a date — do not interpret
- A sudden drop in performance and withdrawal from peers call for attention
- Refer to health services or the school team; do not handle it alone
Predictability reduces anxiety
Much school anxiety comes from the unknown: what comes next, how it will be assessed, whether they will have to speak in public.
- Announce the lesson structure at the start and stick to it
- Say in advance when there will be reading aloud or a presentation
- Publish assessment criteria beforehand, in writing
- Announce routine changes as far in advance as possible
Belonging and connectedness
Feeling connected to at least one adult and a few peers at school is one of the most consistent protective factors.
- Use their name and greet them on arrival — it seems small and is not
- Make sure nobody works alone for lack of a partner
- Set aside two minutes a week to talk with whoever speaks least
- One trusted adult at school is worth more than a programme
Reduce unnecessary exposure
Unannounced reading aloud, correcting in public and posting grades expose the anxious student with no pedagogical gain.
- Agree with the student beforehand if they will be asked to read
- Correct in private; praise in public
- Do not publish grades or display rankings
- Offer an alternative to oral presentation when that is not the assessed objective
Talking about mental health without stigma
Students who take part in mental health curricula report less stigma and greater willingness to seek help.
- Treat it as a health topic, as naturally as physical health
- Avoid language that turns a diagnosis into an adjective
- Say where to ask for help, with concrete names and places
- Do not use examples of real students from the school, even anonymously
A referral network defined in advance
Know who to refer to before you need it. Finding the route in the middle of a crisis costs time you do not have.
- Have in writing who is responsible at school and the referral health service
- Agree with school leadership what to do outside school hours
- Record referrals in writing, with dates
- Confidentiality is not isolation: you can activate the network without exposing the student
Caring for the teacher too
An exhausted adult cannot sustain connection. Mental health at school includes the mental health of those who work there.
- Recognising your own limit is not a professional failure
- Holding space every day without support leads to burnout — share it with the team
- Hard cases need supervision, not individual heroism
- Seek professional support of your own when the weight does not lift
Check-in thermometer
A quick record of how each student arrives, letting you notice change before it becomes a crisis.
Materials
Objectives
Implementation
On arrival, each student marks how they are. You just observe and note what departs from their own pattern.
Map of the school's support network
A one-page document with who to contact, when and how — built before you need it.
Materials
Objectives
Implementation
Fill it in with school leadership, keep it visible in the staff room and review it once a year.
Exposure agreement
An individual agreement about when and how the student will be asked to be exposed — reading aloud, presenting, going to the board.
Materials
Objectives
Implementation
Agree privately on the signal, the advance notice and the alternative, and honour it without exception.
Foundations of Inclusive Education
Instituto Rodrigo Mendes
AVAMEC — the Ministry of Education training platform
Ministério da Educação
15 distance courses in special education
Ministério da Educação
Escola Virtual.Gov
Enap / Governo Federal
Escola Virtual — Fundação Bradesco
Fundação Bradesco
Mental health in schools — CDC
Lines of action to promote mental health and well-being in schools, with examples of practices.
Published by: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · EN · Site
Open materialMental health education in the classroom
How to address the topic with the class: it reduces stigma and increases help-seeking.
Published by: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · EN · Site
Open materialAdolescent health — WHO
Overview and guidance from the World Health Organization on adolescent mental health.
Published by: Organização Mundial da Saúde · EN · Site
Open materialThe Inclusive Mainstream School
MEC/SEESP booklet on organising the mainstream school from an inclusion perspective.
Published by: MEC / SEESP · PT · PDF
Open materialSpecial Education from an Inclusion Perspective
Foundations of inclusive special education, an official Ministry of Education publication.
Published by: MEC / SEESP · PT · PDF
Open materialDIVERSA — inclusive education in practice
Free platform by Instituto Rodrigo Mendes with practice reports, articles and materials.
Published by: Instituto Rodrigo Mendes · PT · Site
Open materialUniversal Design for Learning Guidelines
A framework for planning lessons accessible to everyone from the start, instead of adapting case by case.
Published by: CAST · EN · Site
Open materialBrazilian Ministry of Education portal
Legislation, policies and official publications on special education from an inclusive perspective.
Published by: Ministério da Educação · PT · Site
Open materialProgress Center — evidence-based instructional practices
A collection of evidence-based instructional practices and support material, applicable across conditions.
Published by: Progress Center — American Institutes for Research · EN · Site
Open materialIntensive intervention — decision tools
What to do when an intervention produces no progress: how to measure, decide and intensify.
Published by: NCII — American Institutes for Research · EN · Site
Open material