Mental Health Education

Overview

Mental health literacy means having knowledge and understanding of mental health concepts, as well as skills to seek help when needed.

Classroom-based mental health curriculum and instruction is one way to increase students' mental health literacy.

A quality curriculum should address key concepts such as:

• Causes and symptoms of mental illness.
• Treatment opportunities and barriers.
• Mental health stigma.
• Communicating about mental health with trusted adults.

Curricula should include medically accurate, developmentally appropriate, and culturally relevant content. The content should address different health experiences and behaviors for youth of all ages, identities, and abilities.

How schools deliver mental health education

When a school health education program includes quality mental health education, it can help students:

• Develop knowledge and skills to enhance mental health literacy.
• Promote positive healthy behaviors.
• Reduce stigma about mental health issues.

It is important that mental health education promotes skill development such as:

• Comprehending concepts important to promote mental health and well-being.
• Analyzing the influence of family, peers, culture, media, technology, and other factors on mental health and well-being.
• Accessing valid information, products, and services to promote mental health and well-being.
• Using interpersonal communication skills to promote mental health and well-being.
• Using decision-making skills to promote mental health and well-being.
• Setting personal goals to enhance health, taking steps to achieve these goals, and monitoring progress toward these goals.
• Influencing and supporting others to promote mental health and well-being.

Mental health education curricula may be delivered by classroom teachers (including health education teachers) or school counselors. It can be part of core classes or included in a comprehensive school health education course.

Benefits of delivering mental health education to students

Quality mental health curricula can positively effect student health and build mental health literacy. Middle and high school students who participated in mental health curricula have reported:

• Improved mental health knowledge and attitudes over time.
• Reduced stigma related to mental illness.
• More help-seeking behaviors—such as reaching out for mental health support.
• More optimism about benefits of mental health treatments.
• Fewer worries about sharing personal information with a counselor.

As part of a school mental health program, mental health education has also been associated with students' improved academic outcomes.

Mental health education in action

To have a quality mental health education program, schools need supportive policies, appropriate content, trained staff, and engaged parents and communities.

Schools can use these guidelines to support mental health education:

• Have policies that foster supportive environments for mental health education and build mental health literacy.
• Use content that is medically accurate, developmentally appropriate, and culturally inclusive.
• Through training and professional development, give staff the knowledge and skills to deliver mental health education.
• Make sure that school staff know how to deal with challenges. These may include: supporting students in distress, getting help when a student needs immediate support, and communicating concerns to families.
• Engage parents and community partners.
• Think about ways to make mental health support more available by partnering with local, state, and regional organizations and community-based groups.

Key to success‎

Consider how parents, caregivers, and community members view mental health. Also consider how these views might affect students’ ability to ask for or find mental health support.

For example, include information about mental health in school newsletters and emails. This connects mental health to academics and normalizes information about mental health.

Provide information to parents and caregivers using multiple formats—email, paper flyers, workshops, and guest speakers.

More information

School and community leaders can check out CDC's tools and resources below to develop, select, or revise mental health education curricula.

• Health Education Curriculum Analysis Tool (HECAT) Module: Mental and Emotional Health. This module includes the knowledge, skills, and health behavior outcomes specifically aligned to mental and emotional health education.
• Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being in Schools: An Action Guide for School and District Leaders. The resource describes six in-school strategies proven to promote and support mental health and well-being. For each strategy, the guide describes specific ways to enact the strategy, and examples of evidence-based policies, programs, and practices. Strategy #1 focuses on increasing students' mental health literacy through classroom-based mental health education curricula.