| Author: | Liang, Mining |
| Title: | The lived experience of secondary school teachers in supporting students with mental health issues : a descriptive phenomenological study |
| Advisors: | Ho, Grace (SN) |
| Degree: | Ph.D. |
| Year: | 2025 |
| Department: | School of Nursing |
| Pages: | 326 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | Many mental disorders emerge in adolescence. Schools are an important growth and developmental context for adolescents. Teachers are regarded as potential advocates for adolescents with mental health issues in school. Previous quantitative studies have shown that teachers have a limited comprehension of mental health, and interventions have not resulted in significant enhancements in their behavior when related to assisting students' mental wellness. A qualitative study could thoroughly examine the experiences, emotions, and perspectives of secondary school teachers when it comes to helping their students with mental health challenges, particularly in Asian nations. Nevertheless, there is a lack of comprehensive investigation of the experiences, emotions, and perspectives of secondary school in this context. This constraint prevents the creation and execution of effective interventions aimed at improving teachers' ability to address their students' mental health issues that are context-specific and culturally appropriate. In China, teachers are expected to take on a holistic role, which includes being mentors, counselors, and role models. They are seen as moral guides who influence the character and values of their students, in addition to their academic achievements. Moreover, the success of students is frequently viewed as a direct indicator of a teacher's effectiveness and dedication. This cultural expectation places significant pressure on teachers, making teacher's role both challenging and critically important. However, Chinese people place great importance on students' academic performance. The high expectations placed on teachers to ensure academic excellence can lead to a significant amount of stress and pressure, which in turn restricts their ability to effectively manage mental health difficulties due to limited time and resources. In addition, the cultural expectation of preserving one's reputation and avoiding humiliation might discourage teachers from acknowledging and addressing mental health issues. In such a context, secondary school teachers in China may have specific difficulties when it related to assisting adolescents with mental health concerns. Against this unique background, this study investigated the experiences of secondary school teachers in providing help to students with mental health concerns in one metropolitan city in China: Changsha. The aim was to investigate the lived experience of secondary school teachers in assisting students with mental health issues within a Chinese context. This study employed a descriptive phenomenological approach, following the tradition of Husserl. A total of sixteen secondary school teachers were recruited through purposive sampling in Changsha, Hunan, China. Individual, face-to-face interviews were conducted with each participant to gather detailed insights. These sessions were tape-recorded to ensure accuracy and then transcribed verbatim for thorough analysis. Colaizzi’s seven-step descriptive phenomenological method was employed to elucidate central themes. After the initial analysis, the identified themes were presented back to the participants. This step was crucial for validation, allowing participants to confirm that the themes accurately represented their experiences and perspectives. The present study identified three central themes: (1) Living in Fear of Unpredictable Mental Health Issues in the Classroom; (2) Navigating the Treacherous Terrain of Supporting Student Mental Wellness; and (3) Staying Agile in Hopes of Keeping the Students Safe: "Getting the Job Done." In the first theme, teachers came to realize that certain students have mental health issues, which are challenging to identify. These students might exhibit complexity and potentially dangerous outcomes, leading to the teacher experiencing fear. In the second theme, the teacher describes the barriers that hinder secondary school teachers' effective intervention, such as challenges within the school system, teachers’ professional limitations, and obstacles stemming from students' families. In the third theme, some secondary school teachers have found ways to adapt and overcome those barriers. They adopt flexible and inclusive approaches to cater to the diverse requirements of students suffer from mental health conditions. Furthermore, they had a sense of relief when their endeavors had a beneficial effect on the safety and well-being of their students. Each of the three themes formed the basis for further searching existing literature keywords to determine the existing knowledge and gaps in knowledge. There is an abundance of literature concerning secondary school teachers in supporting students with mental health issues. However, our study identified some aspects that give novel insights into this phenomenon, which are specific to the Chinese cultural context. For example, in their efforts to support students with mental health issues, teachers often worry that their actions or inactions could have a potential negative impact on their professional reputation. This concern is deeply influenced by the cultural emphasis on "saving face" in Chinese society. The concept of face differs between Eastern and Western cultures. In China, the face represents one’s social stature, and people place great emphasis on it during social interactions. Chinese people believe poor handling of important matters or failure to perform within expectations may lead to losing face. In China, the roles and responsibilities of teachers generally include high academic performance and the healthy development of students, goals that are universally recognized and expected from all teachers. Therefore, teachers might feel immense pressure due to concerns that students' mental health issues could impact their own careers and social reputation. This excessive concern for reputation could also lead to strained relationships with students and parents. Under such pressure, teachers may become stricter or lack empathy when managing student issues, which could, in turn, exacerbate the students' mental health problems. The findings have various implications for education, nursing/health practice, policy, and future study. This study indicates that teachers frequently have a sense of helplessness when it comes to providing assistance to students who suffer from mental health concerns. This study suggests that teachers often feel fear and powerless in supporting students with mental health issues. If school nurses are involved, it could alleviate the burden on teachers because of the specialized nature of the nurses' expertise. In China, the primary responsibility of school nurses is to focus on students' physical health. Therefore, for education, we could integrate school nurses into a home-school collaboration to support students with mental health problems. For nursing practice, interdisciplinary teams, including teachers, school nurses, counselors, and administrators, could be established to provide holistic support to students with mental health issues. Policymakers need to provide more precise and detailed guidelines for handling school mental health crises. These should outline the roles and responsibilities of teachers, school nurses, and other staff members to ensure a coordinated response. Future research could explore school nurses' training and resource needs in home-school collaborations and interdisciplinary teams and evaluate the impact of those practices and policies in China. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | open access |
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