High school teachers’ awareness of anxiety and depression in adolescents: cross-country analysis

Background Schools are a crucial part of child and adolescent care systems, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In today’s complex and rapidly evolving educational landscape, the role of high school teachers extends far beyond delivering academic content. School teachers are in a good position to identify common mental health problems in adolescents. However, their mental health literacy levels remain unclear. Aims To evaluate high school teachers’ mental health literacy about anxiety and depression and its determinants in three countries (Kenya, Pakistan and Colombia). Method A self-administered questionnaire comprising the Anxiety Literacy Questionnaire (A-Lit), Depression Literacy Questionnaire (D-Lit) and statements from the teachers’ quiz in the Mental Health and High School Curriculum Guide was used to collect data. Results We received 748 responses from teachers in the three countries; 56.6% of respondents identified as females. Mean scores on the A-Lit and D-Lit were low: 9.14 (s.d. = 3.14) and 9.36 (s.d. = 3.10) respectively (maximum score: 22 on each instrument). Many statements on the Mental Health and High School Curriculum Guide also had low proportions of correct answers. Country of residence (Colombia) and prior training in child mental health were positively correlated with total scores on the D-Lit ( P < 0.05). Only 30.3% of teachers had confidence in helping students with anxiety and depression. Conclusions The participating high school teachers had low mental health literacy about anxiety and depression. By using teacher training and awareness programmes in schools, policymakers could work towards creating a more supportive and informed environment for students facing mental health challenges.