There have been a great deal of local, national, and global tragedies and changes, bringing a heavy fear of the unknown, significantly impacting our students' well-being. APA’s Mental Health Primers are resources for teachers to help identify students who might be experiencing sadness, trauma, and other topics signaling when they might need additional help. These primers cover a wide range of universally challenging student experiences, including bullying, stress, sadness, and low self-esteem. In addition, they address struggles unique to a student’s identity, like experiencing race-based hate or exploring gender identity. These resources, developed by APA’s Coalition for Psychology in Schools and Education, give educators the ability to recognize and respond to their students' mental health struggles in a way that is inclusive and supportive.
Current primers include:
- Addressing Race-based Hate Speech and Microaggressive Behavior in Schools (PDF, 408KB)opens in new window (Updated 2022)
- Students Experiencing Stress (PDF, 365KB)opens in new window (Updated 2022)
- Students Experiencing Sadness (PDF, 417KB)opens in new window (Updated 2022)
- Students Experiencing Low Self-esteem or Low Perceptions of Competence (PDF, 423KB)opens in new window (Updated 2024)
- Students Experiencing Inattention and Distractibility (PDF, 437KB)opens in new window (Updated 2022)
- Students Who Have Experienced a Crisis (PDF, 410KB)opens in new window (Updated 2022)
- Students Experiencing Bullying (PDF, 395KB)opens in new window (Updated 2021)
- Students Exploring Gender Identity (PDF, 326KB)opens in new window (From 2021)
- Students Exposed to Trauma (PDF, 317KB)opens in new window (From 2021)