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A Survey of Educator’s Mental Health Literacy in Nova Scotia, Canada: Identifying Patterns by Training and Experience

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Abstract

The purpose of this provincial cross-sectional survey (N = 254) was to explore the mental health literacy (MHL) of educators, and particularly, if training and experience explains differences in MHL. There were meaningful differences based on MHL training and between educators of different division levels. Those who completed graduate degrees or took Learn or Teach MHL training modules clearly had stronger MHL knowledge and abilities to accurately discriminate mental health needs on a vignette measure. Pre-primary educators had the lowest MHL knowledge and ability to discriminate mental health needs on a vignette measure. Our findings evidence current disparities in, as well pathways towards, improving MHL training for pre- and in-service educators, including pre-primary educators. Significant relationships observed between measures of MHL, and vignette discrimination accuracy suggest MHL training for educators may strengthen help-seeking pathways through the timely identification of students experiencing mental disorders and the judicious provision of mental health resources for these students.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the following people for supporting this paper: Brandon Hamilton, Kristie Przewieda, Angele Ramsden, and Peter Wilkie

Funding

This research was conducted with support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, grant number 1008-2020-1001.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education / University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Damian Page

  2. Faculty of Education, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Canada

    Chris Gilham

  3. Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada

    Taylor G. Hill

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  1. Damian Page
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Correspondence to Damian Page.

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Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Example of Pre-Primary/Primary Division Level Vignette

John is a 4-year-old student in your class. John has been a student at your school for 1 year. It has been one month since the start of the school year, and you notice that John is having trouble paying attention to things you tell him. You occasionally have to repeat instructions before John is able to follow along. During story time, John looks around the room or becomes distracted by the other children. When seated, John squirms or fidgets with nearby objects. You notice that John is impulsive and will sometimes act without thinking through the consequences. These impulsive acts sometimes make it difficult for John to play with his classmates. To support John, you move his chair closer to yours to allow you to monitor his behaviour more closely. John is still inattentive at times and will blurt out the answer to questions in class, but his new preferential seating and your gently reminders appear to be hel** John in managing his behaviour.

Rate the severity of the student's behaviour:

  • 1 = within normal developmental range.

  • 5 = outside normal developmental range & warrants referral to a mental health specialist.

Example of Elementary Division Level Vignette

John is a 10-year-old student in your class. John has been a student at your school for 3 years. John is popular with his peers and maintains a close circle of friends in his class. It has been one month since the start of the school year, and you notice that John’s growing independence is making him more and more defiant. John enjoys making the children around him laugh and you must frequently remind him to pay attention during instructional time and to not disturb his classmates. Despite your attempts to correct his behavior, John persists in fooling around during class time and his inattention is reflected in his below average marks. To support a positive classroom environment, you move John’s desk to the front of the class. John is grumpy about the change and questions your decision, saying that it is unfair the students around him are not being moved for also fooling around during class. John still engages in silly or inappropriate behavior at times, but his new location at the front of the class makes this behavior less frequent.

Rate the severity of the student's behaviour:

  • 1 = within normal developmental range.

  • 5 = outside normal developmental range & warrants referral to a mental health specialist.

Example of Middle School Division Level Vignette

John is a 13-year-old student in your class. John has been a student at your school for 3 years. John is popular with his peers and maintains a solid circle of friends in his class. It has been one month since the start of the school year, and you notice that John’s growing independence is making him more and more defiant. John frequently disagrees with you when you ask him to focus on his in class assignments and remarks that class activities are “stupid”. Despite your attempts to explain the importance of the curriculum content, John’s engagement in class remains low and is reflected in his below average marks. To improve John’s motivation to participate in class you speak with him and learn that he enjoys fantasy genre movies and games. You design a writing unit around these topics and provide John with some reading recommendations. John responds well to these new literacy assignments in class, and you see his marks improve. John still makes snide remarks occasionally, but his participation in class improves.

Rate the severity of the student's behaviour:

  • 1 = within normal developmental range.

  • 5 = outside normal developmental range & warrants referral to a mental health specialist.

Example of High School Division Level Vignette

John is a 16-year-old student in your class. John has been a student at your school for 3 years. John is popular with his peers and maintains a solid circle of friends in his class. It has been one month since the start of the school year, and you notice that John’s growing independence is making him more and more defiant. John frequently disagrees with you when you ask him to focus on his in class assignments and remarks that class activities are “stupid”. Despite your attempts to explain the importance of the curriculum content, John’s engagement in class remains low and is reflected in his below average marks. John is occasionally late to your class when returning from lunch and recess. To improve John’s motivation to participate in class you speak with him and learn that he enjoys fantasy genre movies and games. You design a writing unit around these topics and provide John with some reading recommendations. John responds well to these new literacy assignments in class, and you see his marks improve. John still makes snide remarks occasionally, but his participation in class improves.

Rate the severity of the student's behaviour:

  • 1 = within normal developmental range.

  • 5 = outside normal developmental range & warrants referral to a mental health specialist.

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Page, D., Gilham, C. & Hill, T.G. A Survey of Educator’s Mental Health Literacy in Nova Scotia, Canada: Identifying Patterns by Training and Experience. School Mental Health 16, 417–435 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-024-09644-y

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