Four ways private schools prioritize students' mental health

From stress, anxiety and depression to body-image issues, eating disorders, self-harm and even suicidal ideation, youth mental health—and taking steps to curb a growing mental health crisis—is a top priority for private schools in Canada. A 2023 report from Children’s Healthcare Canada revealed that up to 1.6 million Canadian children and teens may be struggling with a mental-health disorder. And private school students are no exception.

Attending a private school sometimes presents kids with additional mental health challenges, such as homesickness at boarding school or managing what can be an extremely challenging academic environment. And those issues can, in turn, affect a student’s grades, mood, behaviour and physical health.

Private schools across Canada are keenly aware that ensuring the emotional and psychological well-being of their students is imperative. “Obviously, mental health will have an impact on their attendance and academic results, but more importantly a direct impact on their social and psychological well-being,” says Daniel Cooper, principal at J. Addison School in Markham, Ont. “By prioritizing mental health, we can reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues and, at the same time, provide positive encouragement for students to seek help when needed.”

Here are four ways private schools in Canada are supporting mental health and wellness.

Staff education

Whether it’s continuing-education courses, seminars or just reading the latest research to broaden their understanding, faculty and staff at private schools are continually expanding their mental health literacy. “Our approach is toward attentiveness and awareness,” Cooper says. “As administrators, it’s our job to provide teachers with an abundance of up-to-date resources pertaining to the subject of mental health, as well as readied support for teachers dealing with a student who may be struggling in this area.”

At Blyth Academy, a province-wide network of private schools, guidance counsellors are trained through various mental health workshops, including SILA Skills, Mental Health First Aid, crisis management from the Gerstein Crisis Centre and ASIST. “I always provide our counsellors with readings to ensure they’re on top of the current mental health trends,” says Blyth’s head of guidance, Jessica Lewis.

A number of private schools also offer additional support staff, from wellness nurses and on-campus psychologists to chaplains and social workers. “We have two social workers on staff who provide individual and family counselling, crisis intervention and risk assessments,” says Gina Kay, executive director of student services at Toronto’s Crescent School. “They train our teachers to recognize declining mental health, the red flags associated with this decline and how and when to engage a social worker for support.”

In-class learning

At Canadian private schools, mental health education—including lessons, workshops, discussions and guest speakers—is often woven into the curriculum and activities, helping students develop self-awareness, empathy and understanding for each other. “Teachers embed well-being principles and strategies, such as kindness and connection, gratitude, mindfulness and adaptive mindset, into all academic and non-academic programming,” says Theresa Blake, dean of student well-being at the Bishop Strachan School in Toronto.

During Mental Health Awareness Month in May, private schools may offer additional opportunities for student engagement and learning. “We have mindfulness and yoga sessions for the students, and emphasize physical health and healthy eating habits,” Lewis says. At Crescent School, students take part in games, art and music projects, and enjoy visits with therapy dogs. “And in our lower school, boys create a mental-health tool kit,” Kay says, “which they can turn to during times of emotional stress.”

Sometimes, students feel more comfortable talking to each other about mental health concerns, so private schools help encourage those conversations through structured peer programming, such as peer mentoring and school groups. “Our social workers facilitate peer-led discussions, where a few students share personal stories with their peers, or students in younger grades, to help others learn from their experiences,” Kay says.

Parental involvement

The open lines of communication between parents and their child’s private school become even more important when a student’s mental health is at stake. Cooper says it’s a critical two-way street. “It’s equally important that [the] provide care and support to parents,” he says. “They need to know that they’re not alone and that other parents are dealing with the same things.”

To that end, many private schools assist parents as much as they do students when it comes to mental well-being. “Parents know they can reach out for a variety of reasons to collaborate with teachers, coaches, guidance counsellors, social workers, health centre staff, learning-support specialists, heads of school and administrators,” says Krista Koekkoek, vice-principal of student life and well-being at Toronto’s Havergal College. “Our guidance, social work and health centre staff are equipped to support families in navigating health concerns, balancing academic needs and providing referrals to external community partners.”

Lewis says the guidance team at Blyth maintains frequent communication with parents, offering suggestions and direction as needed. “Parents tend to come to us seeking advice on how to help their child, who may be struggling with a mental health concern,” she says. “Each guidance counsellor has a data bank of crisis centres within the area, and phone numbers to provide the parents should their child require professional help.”

Professional help

As Lewis notes, in some instances, a student’s mental health needs may require outside intervention and assistance, and private schools are prepared with a wealth of external resources for families. “In these more serious cases, we provide references for students to speak with trained professionals outside of our school,” Cooper says. “This is an area that we can support parents with, as well—recommending health professionals with whom we’ve built a relationship and seen positive results.”

Ultimately, private schools in Canada strive to help students and their families understand that it’s okay to struggle, ask for support and get help with any mental health challenges they may face. “Recognizing that they’re not alone gives them the encouragement to open up, engage in dialogue with others,” Cooper says, “and not keep things bottled inside.”