Research

Researchers at the Centre are collaborating with Alberta Education on a project to develop an evaluation framework for school-based mental health supports and services across the province. This includes mapping the existing state of mental health supports and services, consulting with stakeholders, and developing resources and mechanisms to support the framework.  

Researchers at the Centre are conducting an integrative review of existing literature on the effects of universal school-based mental health supports.

Turner, J., Friesen, S., & MacGregor, S. (accepted). Development of a mental health framework for schools and school authorities in the province of Alberta, Canada [Paper presentation]. ICSEI 2024, Educational Leadership Network, Dublin, Ireland.

Turner, J. & Friesen, S. (2024). Mapping education leadership of mental health promotion in one school district in British Columbia: A strength-based case study. Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy. Elsevier https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sel.2024.100031

MacGregor, S., Brown, C., & Flood, J. (2021). Authority to empathy, leader to servant: How positive leadership can mobilize innovative practices. In B. Kutsyuruba, S. Cherkowski, & K. Walker (Eds.), Leadership for flourishing in educational contexts (pp. 55–75). Canadian Scholars Press. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373161016

Turner, J., Schroeder, M., & Brandon, J. (2021). Positive system leadership for enhanced well-being. In S. Cherkowski, B. Kutsyuruba, & K. Walker (Eds.), Positive leadership for flourishing schools (pp. 215-21). Information Age Publishing.

Plucker, J. A., Rinn, A. N., & Makel, M. C. (Eds.) (2017). From Giftedness to Gifted Education: Reflecting Theory in Practices. Prufrock Press. 

Peters, S. J., Matthews, M. T., Rambo-Hernandez, K., Makel, M. C., & Plucker, J. A. (2017). Should millions of students take a gap year? Large numbers of students start the school year above grade level. Gifted Child Quarterly, 61(3), 229-238. https://doi.org/10.1177/0016986217701834

1. Schools are essential settings for mental health supports and services. Schools are complex social ecosystems where young people not only learn but also form relationships and face various challenges that impact their mental health. It is no longer acceptable for mental health supports and services to exist exclusively within the purview of the health sector.
2. The risks associated with poor mental health, such as suicidal behaviour, are now widely seen as preventable through timely, evidence-based, and often low-cost mental health supports and early intervention efforts.
3. Mental health issues are not experienced equally across populations. Equity-deserving groups and neurodiverse children and youth experience mental health issues (e.g., depression and anxiety) at higher rates relative to the general population. Youth whose identity consists of multiple intersecting factors (e.g., gender, sexuality/affection, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and religion) are at highest risk for mental health concerns compared to those with few intersecting factors.
4. School-based mental health services reach larger numbers of children in need. Relative to services provided in other settings, school-based mental health interventions may be more timely, accessible, and efficient—and they can reach larger numbers of children in need.
5. Tiered systems of support are guided by whole-school prevention practices. Multi-tiered Systems of Supports in schools can significantly mitigate the negatives impacts of poor mental health for a wide range of children and youth. Tier placement is guided by whole-school screenings, progress monitoring, and students’ responses to interventions.]
6. Universal mental health supports result in positive impacts on student performance. Universal mental health supports contribute to higher engagement in class, stronger connection to the school community, and even improved academic performance that can transcend socio-economic and cultural divides to instill a deeper understanding of mental health concepts across diverse student groups.
7. Universal mental health supports result in positive impacts on the school environment. When mental health support structures are integrated into the school environment, there is an observable improvement in collaboration and communication among staff and students.
8. Universal mental health supports result in enhanced knowledge and approaches to mental health by education staff. Teachers, equipped with new knowledge were found to integrate mental health topics more frequently and effectively into the curriculum. open discussion and destigmatization of mental health topics were encouraged, facilitating more nuanced and supportive conversations between staff and students.
9. Active senior leadership is necessary to effectively implement school-based mental health supports. Commitment from senior leadership is necessary to ensure realistic planning with new initiatives that synergize rather than compete with other school priorities.
10. Educational leaders can foster a more inclusive and interconnected system of mental health supports through multi-stakeholder collaboration. Educational leaders foster a more inclusive and interconnected system of mental health supports by facilitating multi-stakeholder collaborations involving students, caregivers, community members, and external professionals.]
11. School-based mental health policies should be both structured and flexible. A one-size-fits-all approach will likely result in unintended consequences, including diminished mental health for specific groups. Policies should aim to be flexible enough to allow for customization based on local needs and conditions, yet structured enough to ensure core objectives are met.

Turner, J., MacGregor, S., Friesen, S., Sumara, D., McMorris, C., Domene, J., Allan, S., & Mesner, B. (2023). The implementation and evaluation of school-based mental health supports: A scoping review and environmental scan. Centre for Wellbeing in Education, Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary.  

Full scoping review and environmental scan reference list

Pursue Cross-System Collaboration. There is a compelling case for cross-ministerial collaborations to alleviate the challenges of pronounced strain of resource and time pressures on school staff. Cross-ministerial collaborations could manifest in the form of an inter-departmental
training programs, designed to pool expertise and resources from each ministry to offer specialized training initiatives for educators. A cross-ministry educational approach would serve to provide school staff with the skills and knowledge needed to address student mental health concerns effectively, working toward ameliorating concerns about insufficient training and resource inadequacies.

Foster Cross-System Problem-Solving. Collaboration could not only leverage collective ministerial resources but also signify an integrated approach to problem-solving in this policy area. Cross-system collaboration could address the multi-dimensional nature of mental health in educational settings signaling to schools a greater need for the organizational and leadership levels of engagement in the implementation of mental health initiatives in schools.

Align Mental Health Frameworks with Existing Curriculum and Pedagogy. Teaching practices that foster connectedness, encompass student engagement, implement culturally responsive and inclusive practices, and role-model social and emotional competencies, are building blocks for both academic learning and social and emotional competencies and well-being. These practices fall within the scope of classroom teachers and serve as universal supports. Emphasizing such practices may help to reduce resistance to mental health promotion and drive further prioritization of mental health promotion and well-being in schools.

Uphold Adaptability and Local Context. Given the variability in program effectiveness across different student populations and system contexts, it is crucial for policymakers and educational leaders to consider adaptability and local factors in policy development and implementation. The reviewed literature indicates that a one-size-fits-all approach will likely result in unintended consequences, including diminished mental health for specific groups. Policies should aim to be flexible enough to allow for customization based on local needs and conditions, yet structured enough to ensure core objectives are met.

Develop Processes and Structures for Evaluation. While mental health supports are viewed as increasingly valuable, even necessary, there are few policy resources that attend to the evaluation of initiatives to inform practice and, in turn, further support student wellbeing. Accurate and consistent measurements are not just statistical imperatives but are fundamental to capturing the real impact of any intervention in a continuous schoolwide improvement process. Inconsistent or invalid measurements could lead to skewed results, impacting resource allocation, policy decisions, and ultimately students' mental health. Assessment of mental health initiatives should be considered as an explicit state in a cycle of mental health support.

Leverage Unexpected Benefits. Implementing school-based mental health supports can produce unexpected yet favourable outcomes, such as fostering community partnerships and building momentum in mental health promotion beyond initial program objectives. Policymakers could explore mechanisms for identifying and leveraging these serendipitous benefits into existing policy frameworks. For instance, existing data collection and monitoring systems could be revised to capture not just predefined program outcomes but also unanticipated impacts. Such an approach could generate informative data for further investment in school-based mental health supports.
 

Turner, J., MacGregor, S., Friesen, S., Sumara, D., McMorris, C., Domene, J., Allan, S., & Mesner, B. (2023). The implementation and evaluation of school-based mental health supports: A scoping review and environmental scan. Centre for Wellbeing in Education, Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary.  

Full scoping review and environmental scan reference list