Suicide Prevention at the Intersection of Health Education, Social Emotional Learning, and Mental Health Literacy in Elementary Education
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Date
2024-01-09
Authors
Hanson, Erin
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
The rates of death by suicide and the prevalence of mental health conditions in children and youth are a world-wide crisis. Education and school health promotion have a key role in supporting children, however initiatives and interventions are siloed and provide supports to only a few students. In this qualitative study with quantitative components, I used a sequential exploratory research design in a three-phase process to explore how promoting a universal approach to mental health literacy (MHL) and social emotional learning (SEL) in the context of health education can bridge the suicide prevention gap that exists in elementary education. Phase one included an artifact analysis of state and district-level data addressing health education, SEL, and MHL. In phase two, I presented the findings from my artifact analysis to a district-level team. They were then asked to provide feedback on adaptations to a district revision of CDC’s Elementary School Health Index (SHI) to better support district and school-level goals (CDC, 2017). The data were collected and shared with the participants through a focus group in phase three, where they continued revising in a collaborative format. The process of adapting the SHI provided insight into how educators perceive the constructs in this study. I selected a purposeful sampling of district-level staff to participate in the survey and focus group. District-level staff were chosen based on their expertise and experience with SEL, mental health, health education, and/or intimate knowledge of student needs. All 20 participants held leadership or support positions in the district. Participants were female and four racial/ethnic groups were represented. The findings highlight the multidimensional nature of these topics. There was a general consensus that health education, MHL, and SEL can and should be aligned, but there are many factors to consider along the way to alignment. Participants spoke about professional development, accountability, equity, access, cultural responsiveness, collaboration, responsibility, roles, implementation, systems, and more. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are discussed.
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Keywords
elementary, health education, mental health literacy, school health, social emotional learning, suicide prevention