Teacher perspectives of supporting student mental health in schools: A cross-national study

Understanding teachers’ perspectives on student mental health is essential for strengthening school-based supports globally. Teachers from Iran, Japan, Türkiye, and the U.S. were surveyed about their views on the role of schools and teachers in addressing student mental health, common concerns, their own preparedness, and barriers to meeting student needs. Across countries, most teachers (67%–93%) agreed that schools should play a role in supporting student mental health, yet far fewer – particularly in Iran felt they had adequate knowledge or skills. Familiarity with “evidence-based practices” varied, with U.S. reporting higher awareness than the other countries. Fewer than half of U.S. teachers agreed that they should be involved in screening. Teachers in the U.S. were less likely to agree that teaching social-emotional lessons were part of their role than all other countries. Teachers in Japan, early childhood teachers, and male teachers were all less likely to think classroom behavior interventions were part of their role. Iran reported higher agreement with a host of barriers than other countries. Key barriers included insufficient funding (Iran, Türkiye, U.S.) and shortages of mental health providers (Iran, Japan, U.S.). These findings offer important implications for global policy and practice.