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As more health curriculums in middle and high schools recognize the importance of teaching teens about their mental health, some community members wonder if it’s beneficial to start mental health education as early as elementary school.
One reason we don’t currently teach it is that young children may not understand the complexity of mental health. However, there are developmentally appropriate ways to teach them about their emotions and positively expressing their feelings.
Read on to learn why we aren’t teaching young children about mental health in schools and how to overcome the barriers.
The Importance of Mental Health in Schools
Rene Myers, an Intervention Specialist working in public education for over 30 years, says, “You can’t teach if you’re not addressing mental health”. She and countless other educators have watched their students grow, overcome challenges, and experience setbacks such as mental health problems, family conflict, and social or economic crises like COVID-19. They have seen firsthand how this can affect student attendance, test scores, emotional development, and the overall happiness of their students [1].
According to the National Education Association (NEA), around 214,000 US children lost a parent to COVID-19, over 15 million children struggle with food insecurity, and nearly 30% of students report experiencing discrimination. Although it’s distressing to think about as a parent or caregiver, children’s mental health is being affected, whether we realize it or not [2][3].
Young school-aged children (6-12) are increasingly showing signs of depression and anxiety (for reference, most mental health problems begin to emerge around puberty, between 12-14). Kids who struggle with grief of loss of a parent, food or economic insecurity, or are victims of bullying or discrimination, are all at a higher risk of experiencing mental health problems, whether the signs emerge in early childhood or adolescence [4].
Warning Signs of Mental Health Problems in Young Children
Young children often do not have the tools to express their feelings, and their behaviors often show up differently than teens or adults. It’s important for parents, caregivers, and teachers to be able to recognize warning signs of mental health problems in young children to provide early intervention and support.
Some warning signs your child could be struggling with a mental health problem such as depression, anxiety, or trauma, include:
- Decline in school behavior and performance. Your child may have trouble sitting still in class, concentrating, or completing work. Or they may disrupt other students from learning or interrupt the teacher. Their grades may slip as they struggle to keep up.
- Aggression or anger in young children is often a cause for concern. This can show up as frequent temper tantrums, hitting or kicking others when upset, slamming the doors, or breaking toys.
- Low activity levels or lack of interest in participating in activities, playing games, spending time with family, or playing with their toys. Kids tend to be naturally curious and often enjoy new, fun, or exciting experiences.
- Frequent physical symptoms with no explained cause, such as stomach aches, diarrhea or constipation, headaches, or sore throats.
Reasons Why Mental Health Is Rarely Taught To Children
Although there is a growing push to teach mental health to children, it’s important to explore why this hasn’t already been done. This makes it easier to address barriers and create effective mental health education tailored for kids.
Lack of Resources
Many school districts lack personnel, funding, and the resources to implement a mental health program. As of March 2025, the Department of Education (DOE) has laid off over 1,000 employees, aiming to cut their staff nearly in half to “eliminate bureaucratic barriers in education and improve the K-12 system” [5].
However, this decision has many parents and educators wondering what kind of impact this will have on students and their families. The DOE provides necessary funding for state education programs to support students from low-income families, student disability programs, and grants for new educational initiatives, just to name a few.
Regardless of political party— national, state, and local leaders must come together to ensure schools are properly funded and students have access to necessary resources (including mental health education and services).
Complexity of Mental Health
One common argument against mental health education for young children is that the topic is too complex. However, many schools that offer gym class or require daily exercise for students are already promoting positive mental health. It’s helpful to teach young children that activities such as sports, running, or playing outside are not only good for their bodies, but their brains as well.
Other age-appropriate ways to approach mental health with kids e include coloring activities to help identify and recognize basic emotions (happy, angry, sad). Or promoting positive coping skills such as arts and crafts, music, and dancing—teaching them from a young age that these are ways to “stay calm when they are feeling bad.”
Lack of Training
Many teachers or school staff are not trained in mental health and may not always recognize behaviors in students that are a sign of a mental health problem. School districts should ensure all teachers and staff are trained in:
- Recognizing the warning signs of mental health problems in students
- Who to contact for intervention
- What to do in a mental health crisis
- Strategies for conflict resolution
Concern from Parents
Not all parents feel comfortable with their child discussing what was once a “taboo” topic, such as mental health in school. They may feel it can cause distress to their kids or that they don’t have the knowledge to understand the issue. It’s understandable for parents to feel this way, and is why mental health education should be taught in a very basic, developmentally appropriate way.
Below are a few children’s stories about mental health and emotions for parents who would like to talk to their kids about this topic but aren’t quite sure where to start:
- Everybody Has Feelings by Jon Burgerman
- Don’t Feed the Worrybug by Andi Green
- How Big Are Your Worries Little Bear? by Jayneed Sanders
- Tease Monster: A Book About Teasing vs Bullying by Julia Cook
- A Blue Kind of Day by Rachel Tomlinson
Supporting Youth Mental Health in Texas
At Clearfork Academy, our team of licensed mental health professionals understands the complex nature of how mental health problems can impact youth. We strive to educate parents on the importance of youth mental health and offer evidence-based treatments to support positive mental health in teens.
Contact our admissions team today to see how we can support your family.
Sources
[1] Mental Health in Schools. 2022. National Education Association.
[2] Student Grief, How Can Educators Help? 2021. National Education Association.
[3] Experiences of Racism in School and Associations with Mental Health. Youth Risk Behavior Survey. 2023. CDC.
[4] Children’s Mental Health Data. 2025. CDC.
[5] U.S. Department of Education Initiates Reduction in Force. 2025. US Department of Education.gov.
Founder & CEO
Originally from the Saginaw, Eagle Mountain area, Austin Davis earned a Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Ministry from Lee University in Cleveland, TN and a Master of Arts in Counseling from The Church of God Theological Seminary. He then went on to become a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor in the State of Texas.
Austin’s professional history includes both local church ministry and clinical counseling. At a young age, he began serving youth at the local church in various capacities which led to clinical training and education. Austin gained a vast knowledge of mental health disorders while working in state and public mental health hospitals. This is where he was exposed to almost every type of diagnosis and carries this experience into the daily treatment.
Austin’s longtime passion is Clearfork Academy, a christ-centered residential facility focused on mental health and substance abuse. He finds joy and fulfillment working with “difficult” clients that challenge his heart and clinical skill set. It is his hope and desire that each resident that passes through Clearfork Academy will be one step closer to their created design.
Austin’s greatest pleasures in life are being a husband to his wife, and a father to his growing children. He serves at his local church by playing guitar, speaking and helping with tech arts. Austin also enjoys being physically active, reading, woodworking, and music.
