Bridging Education and Emotion: Teachers' Role in Supporting Student Mental Health

Dear editor, I write to express my concern and highlight regarding the mental well-being of children and adolescence which are the key developmental phases with respect to mental health. During this phase of life, the significant role played by school teachers and their literacy levels in shaping students' mental health is remarkable. Children and adolescents acquire cognitive and social-emotional skills at this phase of life, which will help in shaping their future mental health and also for assuming adult roles in society. (1) According to Malhotra et al., the prevalence rate of mental health issues in India among children was determined to be 23.33% and 6.46% in school and community respectively. (2) World Health Organization has reported teenage as the most common age group for mental health disorders to emerge. The developmental changes in the brain during the teen phase makes them vulnerable for the development of mental health problems. Other contributing factors may be academic stress, lack of emotional support, poor nutrition, lack of physical-activity, excessive use of digital devices fluctuations in hormones, environmental influences, and social pressures. (3) A narrative review done by Anderson et al., on factors contributing to adolescent anxiety and associated mental health disorders have indicated that students' ability to learn, contribution in school activities, and their positive relationships with peers and teachers are some the factors contributing for their mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and behavioural disorders.(4) Frontline educators like teachers plays a crucial role in identifying early signs of mental health concerns among school students as they are the first point of contact.(5) Evidence shows that the quality of student-teacher relationship significantly influences students’ psychological well-being. A study by Longobardi et al., 2021found that positive teacher-student relationships are linked with reduced levels of anxiety, depression, and behavioural problems among school-aged children. (6) Without proper training or institutional support, the emotional burdens carried by both teachers and students are often neglected.