Teachers are an important part of establishing and maintaining healthy environments for children to learn and grow. Teachers can assist students who are expressing sadness by providing emotional support, promoting positive peer relationships, and connecting students with other professionals in the school who may be helpful.
Disclaimer
This information is designed to help teachers respond to students who may be in need of support. It is not intended to be used as a diagnostic tool or to replace the use of formal assessments employed by mental health professionals. Additionally, it is important to consider the context of the situation, individual differences, and cultural and linguistic factors.
What is sadness?
Sadness is the state of feeling unhappy, sorrowful or mournful in reaction to disappointing events or difficult life circumstances.
Typical experiences of sadness are brief and in line with what you would expect based on the event or circumstance. However, in some cases sadness may persist for a longer time, may be more intense than expected, or may interfere with normal social activities, interests, and schoolwork.
What does sadness look like in school?
All students experience sadness sometimes, and the behaviors associated with sadness can be different for each individual.
Persistent sadness may look like the following.
What can teachers do?
Do: Remain calm, express concern, offer help. For example: “I noticed you’re not acting like yourself today. I’m wondering if you’re feeling sad about something?”
Don’t ignore or avoid the student or the issue.
Do: Try to understand the underlying causes of the sadness.
Don’t assume causes or jump to conclusions.
Do: Keep an open mind to the many different reasons that students might appear sad. In the virtual learning environment (VLE), consider that students might act differently when others are in the room with them or because they are in a home setting.
Don’t assume that the reason for sadness is depression.
Do: Help students remember that everyone experiences sadness sometimes and that there are people who can help. You and other students can say, “It is okay to feel sad. What can I do to help?”
Don’t minimize the student’s feelings, or suggest sadness is inappropriate.
Do: Remind students that you care about them, their comfort, and their academic and social success.
Don’t emphasize the possible negative outcomes of persistent sadness.
Do: Consult with the student’s parents/guardians and with the school nurse or school mental health professionals (e.g., school psychologists, counselors) as appropriate.
Don’t neglect to inform or involve the student’s parents/guardians, school nurse, or school mental health professionals.
Refer students to further help if needed
- Be sure to follow relevant school and district policies.
- Persistent sadness may warrant referral to school psychologist or community mental health providers.
Resources
Empirical research
Calear, A. L., & Christensen, H. (2010). Systematic review of school-based prevention and early intervention programs for depression. Journal of Adolescence, 33(3), 429-438.
Herman, K. C., Reinke, W. M., Parkin, J., Traylor, K. B., & Agarwal, G. (2009). Childhood depression: Rethinking the role of the school. Psychology in the Schools, 46(5), 433-446.
Merry, S. N., McDowell, H. H., Hetrick, S. E., Bir, J. J., & Muller, N. (2001). Psychological and/or educational interventions for the prevention of depression in children and adolescents. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (1).
Morrison, J. (2017). DSM-5 made easy: The clinician's guide to diagnosis. New York, NY: Guilford Publications.
Tobin, R. M., & House, A. E. (2015). DSM-5® diagnosis in the schools. New York, NY: Guilford Publications.
Related Mental Health Primers
The Mental Health Primers are developed by the Coalition for Psychology in Schools and Education. This resource was updated in October 2021 with support from cooperative agreement NU87PS004366 funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views or endorsement of the CDC or the Department of Health and Human Services.