Mental health
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Teachers in Spain agree on one thing - the exponential increase in the use and abuse of social media is behind the ever-decreasing state of students' mental health.
Three out of four educators have noticed this causal connection, according to a study carried out by Metroscopia for pharmaceutical company Viatris. A total of 500 teachers, guidance counsellors, school psychologists, heads of studies and principals from all over the country were interviewed, to determine the most common emotional problems students suffer from, how they have evolved and their causes.
First and foremost, the study concluded that the decline in children's mental health is a very present issue, getting worse by the day. Half of the educators say that they are confronted with the reality every week, witnessing behavioural, emotional and social problems among students.
Their statement is not only based on observation but also on first-hand information. In the last year, 52% of teachers have had a conversation with a pupil who has told them that they have mental health problems. In half of those cases, they heard this from two or three pupils, but in a significant proportion (8%), the number of students who disclosed emotional distress during the school year was ten or more. Another finding of the study is that children and adolescents have become much more prone to emotional distress after the pandemic.
The most common problem that teachers observed was anxiety, but other disorders were also reported by many educators: 75% reported noticing anxiety, 50% depression, 43% behavioural disorders and 35% eating disorders. Between 12% and 14% of teachers believe students are struggling with self-harming behaviours and suicidal ideation. Without jumping to medical conclusions, as they don't have the training to perform assessments, teachers also notice problems with concentration, tiredness, bullying, feelings of loneliness, anxiety about exams and stress.
When asked to cite the top three factors that may be damaging the mental health of their students, almost 70% of educators blame social media, while 50% believe its the general use and abuse of electronic devices. Family dysfunction takes third place (47%), followed by relationships with classmates. Less frequently mentioned, but cited by more than 20%, are isolation, drugs and academic pressure.
Almost unanimously, teachers believe that constant connection to social media damages their pupils' mental health. In addition, they hold that the same factor plays a role in behavioural problems - 78% say that social media contributes to an increase in bullying and 42% blame it for a deterioration in social relationships among children.
The analysis also confirms another insight: educators feel unprepared to face this growing challenge. Three out of four confess their difficulties in identifying mental health problems in their class, while the same proportion believe that they lack detection tools and 86% also admit their difficulty in helping them. Half say that if there are protocols for detecting and dealing with these situations in their schools, they are unaware of them; where there are, they believe that they are bureaucratic and slow. They also acknowledge that schools lack enough professionals, such as psychologists, nurses, counsellors or social workers, who can cater to students' mental health needs.
Seeking actionable steps, Viatris has brought together a number of professionals who have developed a practical guide to mental health for Spanish educators. The document offers guidelines to identify possible early warning signs of anxiety, depression, eating disorders or sleep disturbances, and guides teachers on how to manage these from a point of responsibility and empathy. It also includes strategies for fostering collaboration with families and highlights the importance of teachers' mental health, which is often overlooked.
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