Mental Health in School

Psychoeducational materials for parents and teachers

Download and use these questionnaires to identify the level of mental health problems in different areas. A parent can complete them in the language they feel comfortable (Portuguese, Japanese, English). Teachers and service providers can look at the translated forms to understand the parent ratings. The norms are based on Brazilian children.

What is the purpose of these psychoeducational materials?

The purpose of this website, created by health and education professionals, is to guide teachers in identifying the different mental health issues children and adolescents experience at school.

In addition, it provides tools to help educators support their students with mental health challenges and make referrals to professional services if needed.

What is mental health?

Mental health is a state of mind through which a person experiences emotions and thoughts, engages in certain behaviors, and maintains positive relationships in their life. Mental health is as important as physical health for a good quality of life, and physical and mental health affect each other.

Emotions are feelings such as sadness, anxiety, apprehension, joy, fear, anger, and elation.

Thoughts are ideas. They can be positive or negative and about oneself, others, or situations.

Behaviors are actions, attitudes, and responses to the environment. They can be adaptive (e.g., cooperating, helping others) or maladaptive (e.g., being aggressive, isolating oneself).

Spectrum of mental health abilities and functioning

Mental health assessment can be organized into two dimensions. The first is the abilities/difficulties of a student regarding their emotions/feelings, thoughts/cognitions, and behaviors/actions. The second is how a student functions in community, at school, with family and friends, and in leisure activities.

Students who have good mental health are those who handle their emotions well, have thoughts and ideas that lead to a productive and meaningful life, and engage in behaviors that allow them to connect with others.
Students with good mental health integrate well into their community, make good use of school as a place to learn and socialize, have friends with whom to share achievements and challenges, have good relationships with family members, and are able to enjoy leisure activities. These students are resilient in the face of adversity, loss, and frustration.

Students who have mental health problems are those who have difficulty coping with emotions, have inappropriate thoughts and ideas, and engage in behaviors that lead to isolation or social interaction problems.
Students with mental health problems have difficulties integrating with their community, become isolated at school, experience difficult relationships with their families, and cannot enjoy leisure activities. Psychological challenges can manifest in different ways such as outbursts, inconsolable crying, euphoria, withdrawal, or aggressiveness.

Mental health is a continuum and has two ends

Mental health is not something you either have or not. People have different levels of mental health. In other words, it is a dimension or a continuum.

It is important for educators to recognize potential mental health problems during childhood and adolescence by identifying students’ mental health capacities and encouraging positive functioning.

Identifying mental health problems

It is often important to focus on the students’ strengths to aid healthy development and help them cope with mental health challenges. For example:

Social skills, empathy, ability to make people feel good and bring social unity;
Athletic skills;
Artistic talents (music, dance, etc.);
Ability to listen and care about others;
Ability to tolerate stress and cope well in difficult situations;
Ability to face fears;
Ability to respect others;
Ability to think about, respect, and question school rules in a productive way.

However, it is also important to identify problems and difficulties that occur in the school environment.

How can we help someone who is having mental health difficulties?

Listen and pay attention as if it is something very important to you (as it is to the student);
Help the student integrate with their peers at school (e.g., facilitate their joining groups or activities, instead of letting them choose or initiate on their own);
Encourage physical exercise and cultural activities;
Help create and activate their circle of support.

What are unhelpful strategies?

Not paying attention to what the student may be feeling.
Minimizing the student’s feelings or questioning their relevancy or accuracy.

These videos are in Portuguese. However, you can go to the Setting, click on Auto-translate, select English, and click on CC to turn on the subtitles.

What are excessive worries?

Natan Gosmann, médico e pesquisador do nosso grupo, fala sobre o que são preocupações, como lidar com elas e como ajudar alguém que esteja sofrendo com preocupações excessivas.

What are excessive worries?

Natan Gosmann, médico e pesquisador do nosso grupo, fala sobre o que são preocupações, como lidar com elas e como ajudar alguém que esteja sofrendo com preocupações excessivas.
Why do people sometimes hurt themselves?

A pesquisadora Julia Schafer fala sobre comportamentos auto lesivos, quando alguém é capaz de machucar o próprio corpo. Por que isso acontece e como lidar? Vídeo produzido pelo Projeto Conexão - Mentes do Futuro.

Why do people sometimes hurt themselves?

A pesquisadora Julia Schafer fala sobre comportamentos auto lesivos, quando alguém é capaz de machucar o próprio corpo. Por que isso acontece e como lidar? Vídeo produzido pelo Projeto Conexão - Mentes do Futuro.
How to manage anger?

Paola Laporte é psiquiatra da infância e adolescência e realiza o doutorado com grupo da SANPS na área de irritabilidade infantil. Neste vídeo, ela fornece dicas de sobre como lidar com a raiva, também conhecida como crises de birra, nas crianças. Paola também esclarece quando a raiva excessiva se torna um problema e quando é uma resposta normal do indivíduo.

How to manage anger?

Paola Laporte é psiquiatra da infância e adolescência e realiza o doutorado com grupo da SANPS na área de irritabilidade infantil. Neste vídeo, ela fornece dicas de sobre como lidar com a raiva, também conhecida como crises de birra, nas crianças. Paola também esclarece quando a raiva excessiva se torna um problema e quando é uma resposta normal do indivíduo.
How to manage excessive shyness?

A psiquiatra Daniela Knijnik fala sobre como identificar a timidez excessiva e como lidar com a timidez em crianças e adolescentes.

How to manage excessive shyness?

A psiquiatra Daniela Knijnik fala sobre como identificar a timidez excessiva e como lidar com a timidez em crianças e adolescentes.

HabitE: WhatsApp Parent Support Program in Brazilian Portuguese

This research program aims to help parents of children aged 4 to 10, demonstrating behavioral challenges at home by teaching them strategies to better deal with one of the most commonly reported challenges that children face: transitions to a non-preferred activity.

Parents will receive links to complete questionnaires and view 6 educational videos on WhatsApp. The videos demonstrate ways to apply behavioral management techniques based on antecedents and reinforcement techniques, encouraging parents to develop positive parenting habits.

Brazilian parents living in Japan can enroll from here: Participate