School Staff’s Experiences Supporting Student Mental Health Needs: A Multi-Informant Qualitative Study

Title: School Staff’s Experiences Supporting Student Mental Health Needs: A Multi-Informant Qualitative Study

Description: School staff are becoming increasingly recognized as an important context for supporting and promoting children’s wellbeing. The aim of this study is to explore school personnel’s experiences supporting students’ mental health needs. Specifically, this study will investigate how teachers, school-based mental health professionals, and school principals perceive their role in school mental health. In an online semi-structured interview, participants are asked to share their thoughts on mental health policy, practices, as well as their own knowledge and self-efficacy regarding supporting youth’s mental health. Additionally, participants will be invited to take part in an optional focus group with other school staff members who participated in the study. The focus group will further explore the participant’s thoughts on school mental health, focusing on experiences with interdisciplinary collaboration, shared experiences and barriers, and ideas for improving school practices. The findings from this study may inform future training and education materials that help school staff feel more equipped to support students' mental health, while identifying strategies to improve collaboration and approaches between staff within schools.

Specifics: Study Population:
School staff residing in Ontario or Québec who work with children aged kindergarten to Grade 12/Sec-V. This includes school teachers, school-based mental health staff (e.g., school psychologists, counsellors), and principals/vice-principals.

Participant Obligation:
Participants will be asked to complete a 15 minute online demographics questionnaire and a 45 minute online interview on Zoom. Total participation takes approximately 60 minutes. A $15.00 e-giftcard will be provided as compensation.

Location: Online-Montréal

Project lead: Ella Blondin, Supervisor: Hariclia Petrakos,

Study Dates: November 16, 2026 to February 27, 2027

Study Website: https://concordia.yul1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2t8mjpQPbpWcZpQ