In the last five years, 56% of Polish teachers worked with a student with depression, and 29% worked with a student who had attempted suicide. According to the report ‘Experience of teachers from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia in working with students with depression’ developed as part of the international Heads Up project, teachers from the Czech Republic felt the most prepared to work with students with depression (62%), while Slovak teachers rated their preparation the lowest (40%). The authors of the report note that the surveyed teachers learnt about depression from the Internet, books and handbooks. Additionally, Polish teachers (57%) took part in the training courses organised within the education system.
Global youth mental health crisis
Based on data from the World Health Organization, around 280 million people around the world struggled with depression in 2019, including 23 million children and adolescents. Researchers indicate[1] that between 8% and 20% of adolescents and about 2% of younger students struggle with depressive disorders. They estimate that up to 20% of adolescents will have experienced at least one depressive episode by the age of 18.
To address this crisis, Heads Up project was launched, featuring the report: ‘Experience of teachers from Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia in working with students with depression’. The report was based on both qualitative and quantitative research, which involved a total of 2,626 primary and secondary school teachers from Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. It shows how teachers address students’ mental health problems, what sources they learn from and how they assess their own competences in this area.
‘The research was conducted at the Faculty of Education at the University of Warsaw. The results of the research indicate that teachers work daily with students who experience mental disorders, including depression. This factor certainly makes their work more challenging. It should be emphasized that the professional situation of teachers in Poland is difficult and is associated, among others, with a significant rate of burnout, underfunding, teacher attrition, lack of social recognition for the profession and growing expectations towards teachers. It is crucial to emphasize the fact that, in order to aid students’ recovery, teachers themselves must receive appropriate support, that is: education, collaboration with other specialists who work with students and their parents and, above all, understanding that their own role in this process is limited’, says Agnieszka Małkowska-Szkutnik, PhD, from the Faculty of Education at the University of Warsaw.
Teachers’ experience of working with students in a mental health crisis
According to the research, more than half of Polish teachers (56%) declared that in the last five years they worked with a student with depression. Slovak and Czech teachers reported slightly fewer experiences of this nature. Almost every second teacher from the Czech Republic (45%) and about two in five teachers from Slovakia (41%) indicated that in the last five years they worked with a student struggling with depression. In Poland, almost a third (29%) of teachers stated that they had such experiences in the indicated period, while in the Czech Republic and Slovakia these experiences concerned 20% and 19% of teachers, respectively.
‘The strength of our project lies in focusing our activities on the school, which is a crucial environment for young people’s development. It is where adolescents spend most of their day, receive their education and develop under the guidance of teachers. It is teachers who have the chance to notice changes in the behaviour of children and adolescents and react to them. Of course, teachers cannot replace professional psychologists or psychiatrists, but they are among the first to detect the initial symptoms of a mental health crisis in their students. It is crucial to support the teaching staff and equip them with necessary competences and tools. That is why the Heads Up project is, above all, practical. The developed outcomes are used to create a guide for teachers on how to assist students in a mental health crisis. Also, many of our activities are addressed at the students themselves, including practical advice on how young people can support and protect their own well-being, adds Dorota Kleszczewska, PhD, President of the Board of the Foundation of the Institute of Mother and Child.
Evaluation of teacher preparedness
Teachers also assessed their level of preparedness for working with a student with depression. More than half of the teachers from the Czech Republic (62%) and Poland (58%) indicated that they had sufficient knowledge on this subject, while in Slovakia the affirmative answers accounted for just over a third (36%) of the indications. It is worth noting that teachers use a variety of sources to learn about coping with depression and the student mental health crisis. The most frequently indicated source of knowledge was the Internet, accounting for 77% of indications in Poland, 63% in the Czech Republic and 61% in Slovakia. Teachers also used books and guides, which were indicated by 52% of Polish teachers, 45% of Slovak teachers and 36% of Czech teachers. It is worth noting that 57% of Polish teachers and 23% of Slovak teachers took part in training organised by the education system.
Where do teachers look for support?
According to the report, teachers working with students diagnosed with depression or at risk of suicide most often sought support from school psychologists (Poland – 53%, the Czech Republic – 33%, Slovakia – 29%) and counsellors (Poland – 62%, the Czech Republic – 35%, Slovakia – 27%). Polish teachers also put high confidence in other teachers (43%) and school management (35%).
Challenges of working with students in a mental crisis
The teachers participating in the study, the results of which were presented in the report, also talked about difficulties in working with students with mental disorders. They indicated mental stress as well as helplessness and a sense of incompetence in dealing with the problems of schoolchildren. They emphasized lack of appropriate guidelines and scenarios for dealing with such situations, as well as lack of specialist support. The surveyed teachers also pointed out that excessive administrative duties and overcrowded classes prevented them from fully supporting students in the mental health crisis and identifying symptoms of concerning behaviour. They also noted difficulties in collaboration with parents and burdening with sensitive personal data.
[1]Ambroziak K., Kołakowski A., Siwek K. (2018a). Depresja nastolatków. Jak ją rozpoznać, zrozumieć i pokonać. Sopot: Gdańskie Wydawnictwo Psychologiczne.