Exploring teachers’ constructs of mental health and their reported responses to young people experiencing mental health problems: a grounded theory approach

The current research used a grounded theory approach (Charmaz, 2006) to
explore the ways in which a small group of teachers working in mainstream
schools constructed the term ‘mental health’ and how they responded to young
people who may be experiencing ‘mental health’ problems. The findings
indicated that four conceptual categories emerged from the data. One of the
conceptual categories indicated that the teachers had two constructs of mental
health, with one construct suggesting teachers felt mental health language was
limiting for young people. Conversely, it was also found that mental health
language could have a motivating effect on the teachers in being able to know
how to respond to young people with mental health problems. In addition, it
was found that the teachers lacked confidence in sharing ownership of the term
‘mental health’.
The research findings also highlighted two further conceptual categories with
regards to the teachers’ responses to young people with mental health
problems. The teachers were active in engaging in a collective responsibility
with their teaching colleagues when responding to mental health problems. The
teachers also used their interpersonal and intrapersonal skills to develop
relationships with young people in the hope that this will help them to regulate
and contain their emotions.