Educators are frequently the first line of defense for spotting early signs of mental health distress in students. These early warning signs are often framed as something to be spotted in a precise moment, as if a drastic, abrupt change, which implies that they’re a singular moment easily missed. This can curate stress and pressure for educators to ‘catch’ them. Acute changes and instances do occur, but the truth is, most signs of mental health struggles appear over time and change over time. Therefore, they must also be noticed over time, rather than just acutely.


The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) outlines several warning signs to look for, most of which are noting changes. Your role as an educator isn’t to be a mental health care provider or professional, of course, but because you spend the most time with students, perhaps even more than their family during the school year, you’re in a better position to witness change over time from a baseline—in behaviour, emotions, physical illness, anxiety, social interaction, weight or eating habits, concentration, substance use or abuse, mood, and personality.


A key word here is ‘baseline.’ If anything, the bulk of the work connected to spotting mental health struggles before they escalate is knowing your students’ baseline mental health. Pay particular attention when you first meet them at the beginning of the school year, such as to their behavioural tendencies, emotional regulation, personality, and social interaction. Keeping mental notes, as you get to know your students for the year, is helpful for noticing concerning and unusual shifts or changes, especially if they’re not drastic or acute. Of course, this approach isn’t foolproof. Students may be joining your class with preexisting struggles, but knowing a students’ baseline relative to your relationship with them provides a way for you—within the bounds of what you can give and control—to bear witness.


For example, changes in academic performance can be a helpful mental health metric in deeper ways than they seem. Grades are not only conversation starters or gateways to more supportive learning, but potential reflections of home, personal, or health difficulties. In an American Psychological Association interview, Dr. Brent Jones mentions how navigating food insecurity, digital insecurity, housing insecurity, and safety insecurity coexist with addressing mental health challenges, often as a result of them. Grades are a tool that only you see, and only you and your students see change (if they don’t share progress with parents and guardians). You may also be in a unique position to witness other day-to-day changes that family can’t, such as if they visit the washroom for long periods of time, don’t eat lunch, or spend most of their recess alone. These shouldn’t be opportunities to make or act on assumptions, but again, opportunities to note changes you may later (or now) wish to check in on safely.


If you’re able and resourced, you may also consider ways to offset some of the stressors Dr. Jones noted, which are significant risk factors for mental health struggles to escalate. For example:


  • Can you gather resources, websites, phone numbers, and social media pages to post in the classroom or in a shared digital cloud folder? Perhaps you and your students can do this together one afternoon.

  • Do you stay at school a few hours after the final bell rings to grade papers a few days a week? If so, and if allowed by your school, could other students stay, too, if they need a safe space before returning home? Maybe you could initiate an after school group at the library or gym.

  • Do you have extra food or snacks in your pantry that you could offer students during snack and lunch breaks?

  • Perhaps you have extra toys, stuffed animals, fidget toys, or other sensory items to support anxious and neurodivergent students?

  • Other things to consider could be clothing and personal amenities, such as extra bras and underwear, period supplies, and hygiene products like deodorant, hand sanitizer & lotion, lip chap, bar soap, and tooth paste & tooth brushes.

Parallel to this type of support, of course, is the fact that educators are expected to be a safety net for student mental health, which can feel increasingly stressful, daunting, and even unfair these days—not because you don’t wish to support your students however you can, but because instances of mental health difficulty, illness, and suicide are rising exponentially in youth. This is no secret. And, of course, you have your own mental health to keep in mind. Dr. Jones says that, “We’re reliant mainly on teacher observations and on our students’ self-reporting.” How can educators offer support beyond these rungs on the ladder, which students continue to slip between?


Your role must be in partnership with your students: be each others’ de-escalation safety net. There’s a fantastic question posed by Báyò Akómoláfé: “What if the way we respond to a crisis is part of the crisis?” Keeping this in mind can help you not only navigate the struggles you spot before they escalate, but not escalate them in your response to them.


If you wish to speak to a student or ask them about something that feels concerning, asking early is always best. Mental health care is not reserved for moments of crisis! But asking early can also induce fear—students may be afraid that their struggle is visible and attempt to do a better job of hiding it. Here are a few things consider, here:


  • Always approach with conversation and storytelling in mind, so that students don’t assume judgement or punishment is coming. Perhaps offer, “Could I tell you a story?” instead of, “Can I talk to you about something.” This could be a moment to offer your own experiences or a story you know related to what the student may be struggling with. 

  • Ensure other students aren’t aware of these interactions—don’t single anyone out or ask about something when other students might notice or overhear. 

  • Offer other ways to speak about mental health that feel safe, such as via email or on the phone. Face to face communication, at first, can add an extra layer of sensory input that might feel overwhelming for vulnerable topics. 

  • Post printed resources such as 988 and other crisis lines somewhere visible in the classroom. Be honest about resources that you turn to regularly, or hope to use when you’re struggling with your own mental health. Be open about the ways in which you haven’t sought support when you needed it, and how you have or hope to change that. Presenting yourself as an imperfect, yet thoughtful role model and mentor is helpful for students to see that it’s never too late to ask for help or accept it when it’s offered. 

  • Offer your classroom as a space to speak with mental health support lines or therapists during recess or lunch breaks if no one else is using the room. Check-in with your school about how to approach a balance of student privacy and supervision safely.

  • Be clear about open, healthy dialogue. Ask your students to share with you when they notice something they find concerning, regarding your mental health, and let them know that you’ll do the same. Offer them a simple example to begin, such as noticing that you’ve forgotten your usual morning coffee for a few days, or have been late to class several times in a week.  


Last but certainly not least, there are several mental health training opportunities. The State of Play Baton Rouge Report, part of Project Play at the Aspen Institute notes that a Louisiana state legislator proposed a bill that “would would repeal required teacher training in many areas, including suicide prevention.” If something similar is occurring where you live and work, consider signing up for other training. Here are a few options to explore:


  • Teacher and staff training - Mental Health America

  • Mental Health Training for Teachers: Essential Skills for Supporting Student Wellbeing - Neuro Launch

  • Mental Health Training For Educators - VIV Mental Health

  • Mental Health Workshops for School Counselors & Teachers - Thrive Alliance Group

  • Why Mental Health Training for Educators is Critical + Resources - University of San Diego 


Overall, the key to noticing early signs of mental health issues in students goes beyond a check-list of symptoms to watch for. These are vital, and should never be dismissed. But as an educator, you’re perhaps most equipped to note mental health change over time, and offer support accordingly. Explore training and other resources to bolster how much you care about your students' mental health and well-being. And never forget to take care of your own mental health, too.