Managing Children’s Depression Behavior to Promote Mental Health Wellbeing in the Classroom

Managing children’s depression in the classroom is a major issue in rural schools and it is not unique to Limpopo Province. The aim of the study was to investigate how teachers manage children’s depression to promote mental health in the classroom. A qualitative research method was used. Purposeful sampling procedure was used to select eight teachers who teach Foundation Phase children. In depth interviews were used as a data collection tool. The study findings revealed that teachers were not fully knowledgeable about children’s depression. Their perceived knowledge lacked the level of confidence necessary to recognize the behavioral symptoms of depression as diagnostic criteria. The study concluded that these children should receive sustained environmental support from the parents and teachers. The study recommended that teachers should provide strong support to the children with regard to their depression. Teachers should be encouraged to find out more about the children’s home background and neighborhood.