To better understand how schools can support student mental health, ACT’s Center for Equity in Learning surveyed students who took the February 2019 ACT exam about their perceptions of current mental health services at their schools. Of the roughly 5,300 students who responded, 67% were aware that their school offered these services, while 23% were unaware of such services, and 9% indicated that no such services were available.
Awareness tended to be slightly higher in suburban schools, where 71% of students knew such services were available. Of the urban respondents, 68% were aware of these services. And 65% of rural students expressed awareness.
The majority of students (54%) overall said they could reach out to a teacher if they needed mental health support. But less than half (48%) of Black students and only slightly more than half (51%) of Latinx students felt they could turn to a teacher. White students (57%) and Asian/Pacific Islander students (56%) were most likely to believe they could reach out to a teacher.
Teachers were more likely to be perceived as potential supports than counselors, with only 40% of students saying they could reach out to a counselor. Again, White students (41%) felt more comfortable going to a counselor for help, while students Black, Latinx, and Asian/Pacific Islanders students (39%) expressed less comfort.
Based on these results, the report authors offer six recommendations:
- Improve awareness of existing services.
- Provide access to universal mental health screenings.
- Recruit more school counselors.
- Increase state and federal funding for mental health services in schools.
- Partner with community organizations to provide mental health services.
- Use competitive grant programs to evaluate programs and services.
Source: Croft, M., Hates, S., & Moore, R. (2020). Supporting the mental health well-being of high school students. Iowa City, IA: ACT Center for Equity in Learning.
