Youth mental health and well-being in pre-K to 12 schools and education

Collage of three images featuring young students working with teachers.

Schools today face a mental health crisis impacting both students and educators:

  • Nearly half of adolescents have experienced a mental health disorder in their lifetime.1 This is a crisis, not a trend.
  • The majority of educators report physical and/or psychological distress.2 This is hurting both teachers and students.
  • The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children's Hospital Association have collectively declared a mental health emergency among youth.3 Schools must act now to protect both student and educator well-being.

Without systemic action, student and staff overall well-being are at risk.

A population health approach

 

Healthy Habits for School Communities is APA’s science-grounded, systems approach to improving psychological well-being for students and staff. It organizes what to do at the classroom, school/district, and state/national levels—pairing concrete recommendations with “how-to” steps and the essential elements needed for impact.

Young students raising their hands to speak in class.

The healthy habits in schools framework

Population-level impact

Move beyond one-off programs to coordinated, systemic practices that improve well-being for all students and staff.

Actionable, not abstract

Each focus area includes recommendations, how to’s, and essential components so teams can implement right away.

Whole-system alignment

Guidance tailored for classrooms, schools/districts, and state/national partners, so efforts reinforce each other.

Evidence-informed

Built with psychological science in mind and written in plain language that school systems can adopt today.

Working towards healthier school communities

Email us for a copy of the framework and resources to start implementing healthy habits in your community today.

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Why schools?

Schools are a scalable and consistent setting to improve population health.

  • Reach nearly every child during critical developmental years.
  • Provide opportunities to promote such beneficial outcomes as belonging and connection.
  • Offer a platform for preventive, system-wide strategies that extend beyond crisis care.

Who is this for?

This framework is designed for individuals at all levels of the pre-K to 12 school system.

  • Teachers and school staff seeking practical, day-to-day strategies.
  • School and district leaders aligning initiatives and resources.
  • State and national agencies and partners shaping policy, funding, and shared expectations.

What’s inside the framework?

Each level includes four parts that work together.

  • Habits: Recommended practices and conditions to promote psychological well-being.
  • Literature snapshots: Documentation there is evidence positively linking habits to components of psychological well-being.
  • How-to’s: Example implementation ideas for a given habit.
  • Essential components: Aspects of a habit that must be in place for the work to succeed.

Additional resources to support youth mental health

Young children laying on floor reading.

Mental health primers

Practical resources aimed at helping educators identify behaviors that are symptomatic of mental health issues
Diverse group of children bursting through the school doors to leave for the day.

Pre-K to 12 schools and education

Learn how APA promotes the application of psychological science to pre-K through 12 education programs and policies
Elementary school students seated at desks in classroom, looking at teacher while smiling.

Top 20 Principles

Explore our Top 20 principles to learn the most impactful ways psychological science enhances pre-K to 12 education
 

References

1 Merikangas, K. R., He, J. P., Burstein, M., Swanson, S. A., Avenevoli, S., Cui, L., Benjet, C., Georgiades, K., & Swendsen, J. (2010). Lifetime prevalence of mental disorders in U.S. adolescents: Results from the national comorbidity survey replication–adolescent supplement (NCS‑A). Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 49(10), 980–989. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2010.05.017opens in new window.

2 Cavallari, J. M., Trudel, S. M., Charamut, N. R., Suleiman, A. O., Sanetti, L. M. H., Miskovsky, M. N., Brennan, M. E., & Dugan, A. G. (2024). Educator perspectives on stressors and health: A qualitative study of U.S. K–12 educators in February 2022. BMC Public Health, 24, Article 2733. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20167-8opens in new window

3 American Academy of Pediatrics. (2021, October 19). A declaration from the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Children’s Hospital Association. https://www.aap.org/en/advocacy/child-and-adolescent-healthy-mental-development/aap-aacap-cha-declaration-of-a-national-emergency-in-child-and-adolescent-mental-health/opens in new window

Date created: September 2025