Pre-service teacher preparedness and confidence for responding to student mental health challenges

Teegan Burns, Jenny A. Conlon, Benjamin Piggott
The University of Notre Dame Australia, Australia
Amanda Timler
The University of Notre Dame Australia; Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia

Mental health disorders are the most common burden of disease among school aged children and adolescents. Therefore, it is vital to consider how mental health is understood in a school setting. It is unknown whether pre-service teachers feel prepared and confident when responding to students' mental health needs. Our study aimed to investigate pre-service teachers perceived preparedness and confidence in responding to students' mental health concerns. A mixed-methods design was used, with 92 pre-service teachers completing the Gatekeeper Behaviour Scale and a subsample of seven participants taking part in focus groups. Findings highlighted that pre-service teachers felt 63% prepared and confident to respond to students' mental health concerns, with no significant differences between teaching discipline or gender. Key themes from the focus groups included 'professional development'; 'resources and strategies'; 'university units'; and 'practical experience'. Integrating mental health training into pre-service teacher education may enhance preparedness and confidence in responding to student mental health concerns. However, the feasibility and long-term effectiveness of such training require investigation. Further, the response of governments and educational systems to the rising prevalence of mental health issues in school students must be prioritised, alongside providing effective mental health support for teachers.
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Authors: Ms Teegan Burns is a Health and Physical Education teacher in Perth, Western Australia. Teegan completed this research for her Honours thesis in the School of Health Sciences, The University of Notre Dame Australia. Teegan strives to promote practical strategies to better equip teachers for responding to student mental health challenges. Email: teegsburns@gmail.com Dr Jenny Conlon (corresponding author) is a teaching and research academic in the School of Health Sciences at The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle Campus, Western Australia. Jenny has led and contributed to several mental health and well-being oriented projects. She is passionate about promoting practical solutions to help reduce the mental health crisis in children and adolescents. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5757-7201 Email: jenny.conlon@nd.edu.au Associate Professor Ben Piggott is a teaching and research academic at The University of Notre Dame Australia and has varied research interests across education and well-being. Ben is passionate about proactively educating young people about mental health and well-being. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0760-1944 Email: benjamin.piggott@nd.edu.au Dr Amanda Timler is the research facilitator at the Child and Adolescent Health Service, Perth Children's Hospital, WA Health, Nedlands, Western Australia. Dr Timler holds an adjunct position at The University of Notre Dame Australia. Amanda has 10 years' experience conducting and supervising projects focusing on mental health and well-being among children and adolescents. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2619-5937 Email: amanda.timler@health.wa.gov.au Please cite as: Burns, T., Conlon, J. A., Piggott, B. & Timler, A. (2025). Pre-service teacher preparedness and confidence for responding to student mental health challenges. Issues in Educational Research, 35(4), 1352-1369. http://www.iier.org.au/iier35/burns.pdf