Government statistics illustrate that children’s mental health problems are rising. Both research and policy recognise that schools provide an ideal environment to promote mental health and therefore, schools are positioned as central to identifying and responding to children’s mental health problems. Consequently, teachers are seen to play a crucial role in fostering positive relationships, developing supportive environments and implementing targeted interventions. There are a number of research studies which focus on the teacher role in children’s mental health, but few look in detail at the lived experience of primary school teachers to provide deeper exploration of individual teacher perspectives. The aim of my research is to explore how primary teachers in the United Kingdom conceptualise mental health, specifically children’s mental health, how they view and make sense of their role in relation to this, and how they approach working with children based on these understandings. In focussing on teachers’ specific experiences and exploring individual stories of lived experience, I aim to generate rich understandings as well as more empathic and insightful ways for Educational Psychologists to provide support for teachers. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), semi-structured interviews were conducted with four primary school teachers working within the same small geographical region of a large city in the North of England. Four master themes were identified: environmental factors, relational approach, the impact of and on teachers, mental health as a personal and individual experience. The findings highlight the significance of language and labelling of mental health problems as both a risk and a protective factor for children, and the power of meaningful classroom dialogue to discuss mental health with children. Positive, trusting relationships were considered central to creating environments which promote mental health, with teachers discussing the importance of developing nurturing relationships with children based on patience, warmth and understanding. All teachers adopted an ecological perspective when discussing children’s mental health, as they explored interconnections between relationships, the school environment and the impact of a child’s home context. This demonstrates the need for all school community members to adopt a whole-school relational approach to supporting children’s mental health, by working together to develop a sense of connectedness and school belonging. The research illustrates primary school teachers’ experiences of complex mental health problems in children and their desire for greater clarity around role boundaries and expectations. Furthermore, the study highlighted teachers’ experiences of frustration and ‘burnout’ due to increasing responsibilities, which left them feeling guilty and overwhelmed by the role. This shows the necessity for teachers to have regular opportunities to experience emotional containment and be given time to explore and share their thoughts, feelings and responses in a safe, reflective space. Finally, thought is given to how EPs can work with multiple systems surrounding children and families, and look towards becoming increasingly involved with wider community issues. The implications for teachers, schools and EPs are considered, with recommendations including developing support for teachers, creating relational school communities and considering the ‘real-world’ action EPs could take to work at the ‘macrosocial’ level.
