Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Students and Teachers: Strategies for School-Based Interventions

A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102). This special issue belongs to the section "Education and Psychology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2025 | Viewed by 3913

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of English, National Changhua University of Education, Changhua 50007, Taiwan
Interests: student and teacher psychology; pre-service and in-service teacher training; social–emotional learning; technology-enhanced learning

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Guest Editor
Chinese Academy of Education Big Data, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
Interests: problematic internet behaviors; mental health among students and schoolteachers; digital learning; secondary data analysis
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There is no doubt that the awareness of, and sensitivity towards, mental health issues among students and teachers have increased significantly over the last decades, with a more holistic and interdisciplinary understanding emerging from the confluence of various fields of study. Most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic led to an unprecedented level of scrutiny and concern being focused on mental health and wellbeing in schools. Mental health professionals, academics, educators, parents, and students are stakeholders in the transformations that have taken place over the course of the pandemic and which continue to impact our lives in the post-pandemic era. A fundamental shift in teaching and learning practices is taking place, and interventions targeting the mental health needs of students and teachers are of vital importance for the sustainability of psychological wellbeing in schools.

Globally, scholars are paying increasing attention to factors that are crucial to both students and teachers in the contemporary educational landscape: resilience, grit, mattering, belonging, and adaptability, among others. While the aforementioned factors are sometimes seen as personal attributes that allow individuals to cope with psychological distress, we believe that well-designed school-based interventions can equip students and teachers with related strategies and resources for improving mental health.

This Special Issue of Education Sciences seeks submissions focusing on how schools can provide support for students’ and teachers’ mental health and psychological wellbeing in schools, particularly in light of the shifts that are taking place in education in the post-pandemic era. 

We adopt an interdisciplinary and holistic perspective and welcome contributions from stakeholders from a variety of fields. Submissions of original empirical research are valued, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method approaches, as well as review articles. 

Possible topics/themes of relevance to this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Proposed strategies for school-based initiatives targeting the mental health needs of both students and teachers;
  • Pedagogical approaches to integrating social–emotional learning and mental and emotional health (such as a sense of belonging and mattering) into existing curricula;
  • Reports on findings and implications from evidence-based interventions for improving psychological wellbeing in school contexts;
  • Systematic or scoping reviews on school-based interventions for promoting mental health;
  • Studies assessing the role of school leadership in fostering student and teacher mental health;
  • Comparative studies on the efficacy of school-based interventions, including cross-cultural comparisons or an evaluation of approaches in different contexts (including higher education);
  • Implications for pre-service and in-service teacher training and professional development;
  • Studies assessing the psychological, academic, and affective outcomes of mental health programs.

We greatly look forward to receiving your submissions.

Dr. Jeffrey Hugh Gamble
Prof. Dr. I. Hua Chen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • school mental health
  • psychological wellbeing
  • belonging and mattering
  • post-pandemic psychological support
  • pedagogical approaches
  • school-based interventions
  • social–emotional learning
  • quantitative research
  • qualitative research

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 315 KB  
Article
Evaluation of a PILOT School-Based Mindfulness Program in Primary Education
by Matej Hrabovsky and Iveta Kovalcikova
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(9), 1088; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15091088 - 22 Aug 2025
Viewed by 466
Abstract
In light of the increasing interest in integrating mindfulness techniques into educational contexts, it is essential to examine their potential cognitive and emotional benefits for the child population. Pilot investigation, analyzed in this paper, aimed to study and assess the impact of a [...] Read more.
In light of the increasing interest in integrating mindfulness techniques into educational contexts, it is essential to examine their potential cognitive and emotional benefits for the child population. Pilot investigation, analyzed in this paper, aimed to study and assess the impact of a structured mindfulness-based intervention on executive functioning and dispositional mindfulness in young learners. The intervention sample consisted of 14 fourth-grade pupils (mean age = 10 years), enrolled in a public primary school. Pre-test–intervention–post-test quasi-experimental design with two conditions was adopted. Executive functioning was assessed using the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System subtests (D-KEFS), while trait mindfulness was assessed via the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Preliminary findings revealed statistically significant improvements in cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control, as well as qualitative changes in mindfulness trait levels post-intervention. The results suggest that mindfulness-based programs may represent a promising approach for fostering executive and emotional competencies in younger school-aged children, thereby contributing to their overall academic performance and psychological development. Further research employing larger and more heterogeneous samples, including active control conditions, is warranted to replicate these effects and explore the long-term efficacy of mindfulness interventions in school settings. Full article
14 pages, 513 KB  
Article
Psychometric Properties and Rasch Validation of the Herth Hope Index in a Sample of Portuguese Higher Education Students During a Pandemic
by Carlos Laranjeira, Ana Querido, Tânia Lourenço, Zaida Charepe, Amira Mohammed Ali, Feten Fekih-Romdhane, Murat Yıldırım and Maria Anjos Dixe
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(9), 1087; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15091087 - 22 Aug 2025
Viewed by 540
Abstract
A greater understanding of health-promoting factors, such as hope, is crucial for preventing and enhancing the mental health of higher education students. The Herth Hope Index (HHI) is a 12-item tool that has been widely used to assess a comprehensive, non-temporal perception of [...] Read more.
A greater understanding of health-promoting factors, such as hope, is crucial for preventing and enhancing the mental health of higher education students. The Herth Hope Index (HHI) is a 12-item tool that has been widely used to assess a comprehensive, non-temporal perception of hope. While this instrument has been used extensively in adult populations, most studies focus on clinical populations. Additionally, the HHI reveals inconsistencies in terms of scale dimensionality and items to be retained. Therefore, this study sought to assess the HHI’s psychometric characteristics in a sample of Portuguese Higher Education students. The person response validity, internal scale validity, unidimensionality, and uniform differential item functioning were assessed using a Rasch rating scale model. A total of 2227 higher education students participated during the e-survey activation period (spring semester of 2020). The mean age of the sample was 22.5 ± 6.2 years (range 18–59 years). Three of the twelve items (#3, #5, and #6) failed to satisfy the established criterion for goodness of fit. Following the elimination of these three items, the resultant nine-item scale exhibited satisfactory item fit to the model, appropriate unidimensionality (52.4% of the variance explained), enough person goodness of fit, sufficient separation, and the absence of differential item functioning. The 9-item version of the HHI had psychometric properties comparable to the original 12-item version. This study also underscores the importance of validated instruments for assessing hope-based interventions in academic contexts. Further research is necessary to explore the potential dimensions inherent to the hope concept and to identify variations in hope profiles among items influenced by cultural attributes. Full article
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27 pages, 3539 KB  
Article
Therapy Dogs District-Wide: Mental Health and Well-Being Influences in PK-12 Education
by Kathleen M. Farrand and Jae Young Jung
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(7), 929; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15070929 - 21 Jul 2025
Viewed by 913
Abstract
The mental health of prekindergarten (PK)-12th grade students is of extreme importance. Therapy dogs are a unique intervention to address mental health needs in educational frameworks. The purpose of this pilot study is to examine the components of a PK-12 district-wide therapy dog [...] Read more.
The mental health of prekindergarten (PK)-12th grade students is of extreme importance. Therapy dogs are a unique intervention to address mental health needs in educational frameworks. The purpose of this pilot study is to examine the components of a PK-12 district-wide therapy dog program and the implications for the mental health and well-being of students, faculty, and staff. This research used qualitative methods for semi-structured interviews with therapy dog handlers, observations including photographs, and researcher field notes of therapy dogs and handlers in their education environment. Thematic analysis of transcripts from semi-structured interviews was used for qualitative analysis. The results indicated that the strategic implementation of a district-wide therapy program supported a sustainable program that is integrated into the educational ecosystem. The participants perceived that the therapy dogs impacted mental health in the domains of social, emotional, and behavioral support. A district-wide systematic approach to addressing mental health and well-being needs of students, faculty, and staff with therapy dogs’ hinges on a comprehensive training and evaluation process, district-level support, and consistent implementation across educational settings. Therapy dogs can be embedded within educational structures to create a multilevel impact from the classroom to school to district level for a sustainable program. Therapy dogs positively contribute to the mental health and well-being of students, faculty, and staff in PK-12 education settings. Full article
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20 pages, 294 KB  
Article
Exploring Qualitative Evidence Through a School-Based Intervention: Can Youth Be Empowered Through Writing?
by Maria Farella, Ingrid Sladeczek and Danielle Groleau
Educ. Sci. 2025, 15(3), 269; https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci15030269 - 21 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1267
Abstract
Background: The mental health crisis among youth, exemplified by the 1.2 million affected in Canada, underscores the urgent need for effective interventions. Research indicates that in-school programs are more successful in addressing common mental health issues and promoting well-being. This evaluation study [...] Read more.
Background: The mental health crisis among youth, exemplified by the 1.2 million affected in Canada, underscores the urgent need for effective interventions. Research indicates that in-school programs are more successful in addressing common mental health issues and promoting well-being. This evaluation study was performed on the Kids Write Network, an expressive writing intervention that aims to facilitate emotional expression and processing by encouraging individuals to address and reassess adverse life events through writing. This study explores how the cognitive and psychological mechanisms of expressive writing in adolescents can be unveiled through the theoretical approach of empowerment. Methods: Using a multiple case-study design, 50 middle school students from three schools in Montreal, Canada, participated in the expressive writing intervention and were individually interviewed. The data collected from these interviews were analyzed using a comprehensive coding schema to identify the theoretical underpinnings of empowerment. Results: The results demonstrate that writing about one’s negative life event allowed for a better understanding of it through reflection and a clearer understanding of one’s emotions. Conclusions: The findings can inform the development and implementation of school-based empowerment interventions for youth with mental health challenges. Further, our findings emphasize the importance of recognizing and addressing the theoretical approach of empowerment in mental health programs for young individuals. Full article
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