The promoting effect of the teacher–student mutual assistance teaching model on students’ mental health

Abstract Background In recent years, mental health problems among college students have intensified, with a rapid increase in the detection rates of anxiety and depression. Statistics show that approximately 38.2% of students experience psychological distress, and 11.6% require intervention. Traditional teaching emphasizes knowledge transmission while neglecting emotional support. Teacher-student collaborative teaching enhances emotional adjustment and social support through emotional participation, collaborative learning, and psychological feedback. Given that mood disorders are an early manifestation of mental health issues, and research indicates that proactive intervention can promote recovery, it is necessary to explore the positive impact of this teaching model on students' mental health. Methods A total of 412 undergraduate students from three universities were randomly divided into a mutual assistance group (n = 207) and a traditional group (n = 205). The study lasted for 16 weeks. The mutual assistance group implemented a "collaborative learning + teacher psychological support + weekly emotional feedback talks" model, while the traditional group used conventional teaching methods. The Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were used for statistical analysis. Paired t-tests and two-way ANOVA were used for statistical analysis, with a significance level set at p.05. To control for factors related to teaching difficulty and academic performance, the course content and class hours were identical for both groups, and both the instructors and tutors participated in the psychological support process. Results Following intervention, the mutual assistance group showed a 12.8% reduction in total SCL-90 scores; anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, and interpersonal sensitivity dimensions decreased by 14.3%, 11.7%, and 13.5%, respectively. The traditional group demonstrated a 3.2% total reduction, with no significant improvement in any dimension (p.05). PSS scores indicated a 10.1% reduction in perceived stress in the mutual assistance group versus 2.8% in the traditional group. Positive affect improved by 15.6%, and interpersonal trust by 18.2% in the mutual assistance group, both significantly higher than in the traditional group (p.01). Meanwhile, the proportion of students exhibiting emotional instability decreased from 9.7% to 3.4%, with a recovery rate of 64.5%, compared to 28.9% in the traditional group. Teacher–student interaction frequency was moderately negatively correlated with stress improvement (r = –0.41, p.01), suggesting more frequent interaction predicts lower stress. Discussion Studies have demonstrated that the teacher–student mutual assistance teaching model significantly enhances students’ mental health. The mechanism is reflected in the creation of a supportive learning environment, reinforcement of positive attribution, and improvement of psychological safety, aligning with the principles of early detection and interpersonal connection emphasized in psychological interventions. The model may further be applied to high-risk groups and integrated with intelligent emotion recognition or dynamic psychological monitoring to realize a combined teaching–intervention system. As this study did not fully consider differences in academic disciplines or levels of teacher engagement, future research should enlarge the sample scope and implement long-term follow-up to verify the persistence of the effect. Overall, the teacher–student mutual assistance model demonstrates considerable practical value and theoretical innovation potential.