Mental Health Challenges of Young People with ADHD Symptoms: Teachers’ Perspectives and Strategies
Abstract
:1. Introduction
1.1. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
ADHD Symptoms, Mental Health and Academic Underachievement
1.2. Human Rights and Inclusive Education
1.3. Teachers’ Roles in Supporting Students’ Wellbeing
1.4. The Present Study
- What are teachers’ perspectives on the mental health challenges experienced by secondary school students with ADHD (diagnosed or undiagnosed) in classroom settings?
- What strategies do teachers employ to support these students’ mental health challenges?
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Framework, Paradigm and Methodology
2.2. Participants
2.3. Data Collection Procedure
- Please reflect upon one or more situations in which you have encountered a student with symptoms of attention-deficit disorder (with or without a formal diagnosis) in your classroom. How prepared did you feel to support their mental health and emotional wellbeing needs? Can you describe your experiences in detail?
- With respect to the situations you have described, what are some of the specific strategies you adopted in an effort to accommodate the mental health needs of these students?
- How prepared do you feel to address the specific mental health and emotional wellbeing needs of students with attention-deficit symptomatology (with or without a formal diagnosis)? Can you describe your experience in detail?
- What is your perspective on the needs of both practicing and beginning teachers (in any respect, including, for example, professional development, resourcing) to feel better prepared to support the mental health and emotional wellbeing of students with attention-deficit symptomatology (with or without a formal diagnosis)?
- How significant would you say the impact of ADHD is in classrooms, compared to other difficulties?
- What mental health challenges would you say you have seen in students with ADHD?
- What else do you think needs to be done or could be done to enhance teachers’ abilities to support the mental health needs of students with ADHD in classrooms?
- When a student has been referred for diagnosis and doctors or psychologists have suggested interventions and supports, have you found any barriers to putting these in place?
2.4. Analysis
2.5. Trustworthiness and Rigour in the Present Study
3. Results
3.1. Teacher Perspectives on the Mental Health Challenges Faced by Students with ADHD Symptoms
3.1.1. Theme 1: Feeling Anxious
3.1.2. Theme 2: Feeling Different
3.1.3. Theme 3: Feeling Frustrated
3.1.4. Theme 4: Feeling Helpless
3.2. Teacher Strategies to Support the Mental Health of Students with ADHD Symptoms
3.2.1. Specific Strategies Which Target Students’ Mental Health Challenges
3.2.2. Holistic Strategies Which Support the Mental Health of Students with ADHD
4. Discussion
4.1. Teachers’ Views on the Mental Health Challenges Faced by Students with ADHD Symptoms
4.2. Teachers’ Strategies to Support the Wellbeing of Students with ADHD Symptoms
4.3. Implications for Practice
4.4. Limitations
4.5. Directions for Future Research
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A
Theme 1: Building Relationships | |
Sub-themes | Illustrative Quotations |
Importance | I put the relationship first with all of my students… knowing them well and figuring them out, you know, building that connection is just important. (Angela, 24 years’ experience) I think one of the things… in all teaching is relationship building with the student… [it] is always a key towards much more engagement in whatever lessons you prepare thereafter. (Mei, 20 years’ experience) |
Trust | I will coach staff sometimes rather than step in because I’m a stranger to kids a lot sometimes. And I know relationship is a lot more powerful, when we have that relationship to de-escalate kids with trust. (Mandy 20 years’ experience) Having that good relationship with her has really supported the strategies that I can implement with her because she trusts me and we can look at that and I’ve set and developed a study plan for her for all of our classes because of that trust relationship. (Donna, 18 years’ experience) [After chatting to a student of concern] we had a better working relationship and he started trusting me with when he was feeling overwhelmed with his work instead of acting out. (Natalie, 19 years’ experience) Those little quiet check-ins at a time that’s appropriate… so that they know that I’m aware, which means they know I’ve got their back… it’s like, “Oh, someone cares how I’m doing, someone cares about results and how I get it”… Yeah, because the pressure’s lifted, just someone cares, you know? (Natalie, 19 years’ experience) So in the end it wasn’t the educational factor that we were more concerned with… sometimes the fundamental thing is just making a child feel loved and accepted. (Mei, 20 years’ experience) |
Theme 2: Seeing Individuals | |
Sub-themes | Illustrative Quotations |
Recognising each student’s point of need | We meet her at the point where she is rather than try to drag her to the point that we expect her to be. (Mei, 20 years’ experience) I think that’s just how I treat all students, especially when they’re doing it tough… It’s just about trying to sit down and meet the person at their point of need, where they are right then. (Chris, 25 years’ experience) [I prioritise] catering for students needs in a variety of ways that are relevant for their situation. (Donna, 18 years’ experience) |
Engaging students via their interests | So I think making that connection based on their interest, based on things that really fascinate them. And these are students, they are people like any one of us, so knowing another person, knowing what a person likes… their preferences and all that. And working along those lines always helps. (Mei, 20 years’ experience) A kid last year was like, “Oh, I can’t do it. I’ve got ADHD”. I’m like, “No, that just means you’re working in hard mode. Come on, you’re a gamer. Let’s go, gamer”. (Natalie, 19 years’ experience) |
Showing compassion and understanding | If you’re showing kind of compassion and care towards them and understanding of their situation, they try their best. (Sophie, 27 years’ experience) Seeing the student as someone who honestly wanted to learn and make the ‘green’ choices but had difficulty with control over their output was important. (Lauren, 26 years’ experience) Also having conversations with the student to know that actually their behaviour is normal. (Donna, 18 years’ experience) Approaching each student as an individual human being… It’s about respect for students and… unconditional personal regard… if the ADHD has got in the way and things haven’t been working well, [reminding students] that we still like them and respect them as human beings. (Chris, 25 years’ experience) It’s like, “I see you as a person, not just a student, not just a kid who doesn’t get it. We’re going to openly talk about what you need.” (Natalie, 19 years’ experience) Having that conversation with the student, not singling them out… never ever mentioning their diagnosis and really making them feel seen and heard I think is really important and they all really support that mental health. (Donna, 18 years’ experience) I’ll always say to all of the students, “if you need help, if you need support, let me know”. (Angela, 24 years’ experience) Even if the things aren’t helping that much, the fidgets or the cushions, the idea that I see these kids, that I care about their experience, that it’s a way of acknowledging their experience [by providing these things]. And all of that stuff contributes to feeling seen and heard and understood. (Sophie, 27 years’ experience) |
Seeing the broader context | I think often it’s bigger picture stuff. So if they come into your class and they’re having a bad day, it’s unpicking what else has gone on. (Angela, 24 years’ experience) You can read the room, you know. You can see where they’re at. But then you can also do that one-on-one with a kid… [and have] chats about personal emotional struggles with the work or outside influences affecting their focus. (Natalie, 19 years’ experience) In a secondary situation, you’ve got them for 40 min a day. You don’t know what happened in the last class, you don’t know what’s going to happen in the next class… So you just have to deal with what you’ve got at that moment. (Lynn, 30 years’ experience) [They don’t] come to school with a fresh plate. They come into school after breakfast, after the morning routine… you know, not being able to find their shoes and being yelled at… All of those things come into school in the morning and most kids brush them off because that’s just life, but a student with ADHD may not be able to do that as easily. (Lynn, 30 years’ experience) |
Theme 3: Reducing Stigma | |
Sub-themes | Illustrative Quotations |
Consistent approaches for all students | I’ll actually have conversations with my ADHD kids if I’m having to call them out, and I’ll just say… “I’m giving you a leeway, but you can’t push it… because then what’s happening is if I let you just have free rein because of this, then other people are going to feel like it’s unfair when I call them out… So I’m not attacking you, but I am going to have to keep it consistent”. (Natalie, 19 years’ experience) [It’s important to have] a very clear and consistent, I guess, management approach with perhaps some specific mechanisms in place for those students that, you know, they’ve got a timeout card. (Lynn, 30 years’ experience) |
Using discreet cues | One kid [with] ADHD and anxiety… was afraid to put his hand up… if he’s feeling overwhelmed or he needs help, he will put an orange highlighter… on top of the pencil case… so I’m like, “cool, I’ve got the orange highlighter cue… that’s fine. I’ve got your back”. (Natalie, 19 years’ experience) [I have a] traffic light cups [system] so students don’t need to raise their hand for help but can still signal clearly that (green) they are going fine with the set task, (orange) need help but can keep working, (red) are stuck and can’t do anything without my help. (Natalie, 19 years’ experience) [I use] some sort of verbal cue or visual cue that’s been agreed to between you so that they have an out. (Lynn, 30 years’ experience) |
Inclusive approaches | I provide a set of wiggle cushions and a jar of fidgets in my room… Many students enjoy using these things which removes any stigma attached to who uses them and why… in my classroom, anyone can use them… So it stops them from being unique. It’s like, oh, they see, oh, lots of people use these things, not just me. And the other kids see, oh, it’s not just the weird special kids that use this, this is also enjoyable for us. (Sophie, 27 years’ experience) |
Sharing own diagnosis | And with my own diagnosis… I let the kids know actually. As part of my get-to-know-you things… “I’m going to tell you guys something, and I don’t expect you guys to share this back, but I have ADHD”… by saying, “Oh, this is something about me, it’s not all of who I am, I’m also an English teacher”… it’s just setting the tone. (Natalie, 19 years’ experience) Every day, we kind of look at things around kindness, respect, and inclusion… so I disclosed that I have an autism diagnosis… we were talking about the idea of invisible disabilities, that sometimes you don’t know what’s going on with someone… So I think yeah that just created community and understanding… So that helps I guess with all of their mental health. (Amber, 21 years’ experience) |
Theme 4: Providing Safe Spaces | |
Sub-themes | Illustrative Quotations |
Feeling of safety | We do get to chat with them and… I think it’s critical actually to the girls feeling a sense of belonging and feeling connected to the school… when there is a connection and they’re feeling safe and secure in our spaces, sometimes they’ll disclose things in our classrooms… I’m not talking mandatory reporting sort of stuff. (Angela, 24 years’ experience) Building a safe place where whatever is going on with them is okay and human allows for better and honest working relationships. (Natalie, 19 years’ experience) Providing a safe, inclusive space, without shame or judgement, benefits everyone. It also greatly reduces disruptions and behaviour problems from students. Getting in trouble for things students can’t easily control or modify causes these students a lot of stress and shame. (Sophie, 27 years’ experience) |
Physical ‘safe space’ | Sometimes what they need is actually a safe space away from the noise and all that’s happening in the classroom… So we do have learning support staff in where there is a room that they can actually go to and collect themselves… That helps. I think creating that safe space, creating that acceptance, just switched off from the intensity for a while and coming back does help. (Mei, 20 years’ experience) Students were given time out cards they could use if experiencing anxiety or stress and they could go to student services for up to 20 min. (Debbie, 7 years’ experience) But at our school, if a kid is struggling with those things and they’re getting in trouble and they’ll talk with the psych[ologist] and one of the deputies and they’ll get a [card] and there’s… a little chill out zone… they get a 15 min time out. The card allows them to go and just sit there… and the chaplain or the psych will pop their head out… “Do you need anything?”—“No”. And they can just sit there and they bring themselves back down, so it’s pretty great self-regulation there. (Natalie, 19 years’ experience) |
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Participant | School Type | Role | Teaching Years | Age (Years) | Gender |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mei | Secondary Metropolitan | Head of Learning Area, Teacher | 20 | 59 | F |
Lauren | Secondary Metropolitan Alternative Education | Senior Teacher Level 2, Pastoral Care | 26 | 48 | F |
Nick | Secondary Metropolitan | Teacher | 4 | 34 | M |
Debbie | Secondary Metropolitan | Teacher | 7 | 59 | F |
Amber | Secondary Metropolitan | Teacher | 21 | 48 | F |
Angela | Secondary Metropolitan | Head of Students, Teacher | 24 | 46 | F |
Chris | Secondary Metropolitan | Senior Teacher Level 2 | 25 | 51 | M |
Sophie | Secondary Metropolitan | Teacher | 27 | 53 | F |
Natalie | Secondary Metropolitan | Teacher | 19 | 42 | F |
Mandy | SSENBE1 Metropolitan | Pastoral Care Consultant | 20 | 44 | F |
Donna | Secondary Metropolitan | Head of Learning Area, Teacher | 18 | 50 | F |
Lynn | Secondary Metropolitan | Teacher | 30 | 62 | F |
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Maxwell, C.; Chapman, E.; Houghton, S. Mental Health Challenges of Young People with ADHD Symptoms: Teachers’ Perspectives and Strategies. Adolescents 2025, 5, 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents5020025
Maxwell C, Chapman E, Houghton S. Mental Health Challenges of Young People with ADHD Symptoms: Teachers’ Perspectives and Strategies. Adolescents. 2025; 5(2):25. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents5020025
Chicago/Turabian StyleMaxwell, Carolyn, Elaine Chapman, and Stephen Houghton. 2025. "Mental Health Challenges of Young People with ADHD Symptoms: Teachers’ Perspectives and Strategies" Adolescents 5, no. 2: 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents5020025
APA StyleMaxwell, C., Chapman, E., & Houghton, S. (2025). Mental Health Challenges of Young People with ADHD Symptoms: Teachers’ Perspectives and Strategies. Adolescents, 5(2), 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents5020025