Are mental health lessons a waste of time?
For any of us who have been working in education, public health, as well as many other sectors over the past decade or two, we know that reducing stigma and raising awareness around emotional and mental health have received much of our time and effort.
It appears that these endeavours have been paying off with more discussion and fewer euphemisms, as well as young and older people being more likely to recognise emotional and mental health issues and seek help if needed.
However, this very welcome breakthrough has also come with some unintended consequences. Perhaps the most concerning is the strain on mental health services. Waiting lists are long, and demand post-COVID increased with no sign of abating.
A further concern from some academics is that there has been an “over-medicalisation” of mental health, with some worries and concerns of young people simply being within the “normal” range of emotions that are experienced as part of everyday life. In addition, there has been an assertion that mental health lessons are “at best a waste of time” and could be, for some vulnerable pupils, potentially harmful.
This leaves schools and teachers in a confusing position, so let’s delve a little deeper and suggest what is likely to be helpful within your PSHE programme and what is best avoided in the classroom.
1. What’s the difference between an intervention and a lesson?
A mental health intervention in school is a structured, evidence-based programme or service. There are interventions designed to promote student well-being, prevent mental health issues, or provide early support to students experiencing difficulties. Some interventions are designed to be classroom-wide lessons, while others are more targeted to individuals requiring additional support to build resilience and improve emotional regulation, which should positively impact academic achievement.
Lessons, on the other hand, will provide more general information about mental and emotional health and may include signposting to additional support in school or externally.
The Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACMA) is a useful source of informationand the latest research findings.
2. Is there much research evidence about what mental or emotional health input is effective in the classroom?
For anyone wishing to undertake research studies on children or young people, there are significant challenges and barriers to overcome. As a result, there is limited evidence-based research on what makes a difference to mental or emotional health beyond what is already well established. If you have ever completed your own research as part of higher-level qualifications, you will be aware of the research protocols and ethical approval that are necessary for a piece of small-scale research. It is therefore unsurprising that large university-led research requires a raft of complex approvals before it can begin. Funding for academic research is limited, and competition for grants is high. A further complexity to this mix is the fast-changing variables that will impact what is being measured. We know that children and young people are growing up in a rapidly changing social landscape; all these external factors make it very difficult for researchers. How do they account for the ever-changing variables impacting what they are trying to measure when change is so rapid? It doesn’t help that research projects take many years to set up, implement and then finally publish results. This means that the children who are the subjects of the research will be much older than at the start of the study. Taking this a step further, can we readily accept that findings about a particular group at a specific moment in time apply to the current group of children or teenagers who may have an entirely new set of factors impacting their behaviour?
A good example is the research into a specific mindfulness intervention on children’s mental health. The MYRIAD (My Resilience in Adolescence) study was carried out by Oxford University and funded by the Wellcome Trust. It was a large-scale, randomised control trial involving numerous schools to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of mindfulness training. In this respect, it was the ‘gold standard’ of research and a very good example of a well-designed project. The study ran for 8 years from 2015 to 2022), involved 28,000 children aged 11-14. On completion of the study, there was no evidence that universal mindfulness training was any more effective than standard teaching at reducing anxiety or depression, or that it increased well-being for this age group.
80% of students did not complete the mindfulness practice, suggesting that simply learning about mindfulness offers no benefit, therefore, confirming that a one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to be useful. The training was, however, beneficial to teachers who reported less burnout and improved the school climate; however, these improvements were often short-lived.
3. What should teachers avoid when delivering lessons about emotional and mental health?
The key recommendation here is to avoid veering into therapeutic approaches if you have not been trained in these areas. Therapy to support mental health usually takes place in small groups or one-to-one with a trained mental health professional. A classroom environment with larger groups of students does not lend itself to these approaches. Even where teachers have been trained on a specific approach, for example, mindfulness, the evidence shows that implementing mindfulness practice at a universal level has no benefit, as the MYRIAD study has shown.
However, providing students with information on how they can support their emotional and mental health in general terms is unlikely to cause any harm. For example, information on what cognitive behaviour therapy is can be useful knowledge for students, but introducing therapeutic elements of this approach to a lesson would not generally be recommended. However, including signposting information in lessons is widely recommended and may encourage students who potentially need support to make enquiries.
4. What mental and emotional health topics should teachers include in their PSHE programme?
Many topics within PSHE relate to emotional and mental health, and building insight and awareness around mental health across the curriculum is both beneficial and a statutory expectation. Mental and emotional health is an integral component of relationship education, safety, and the consequences of substance misuse. It therefore makes sense to consider mental health education alongside related topics, as opposed to addressing PSHE themes in isolation. There’s a wide range of practical health advice that has a positive impact on emotional and mental health. For example, getting enough sleep, spending time outside, taking exercise, eating a balanced diet, and avoiding substances, to name a few. The value of healthy relationships and being connected to others is also an area that has a significant impact on emotional well-being. There’s plenty of evidence in support of positive behaviours that can be discussed with students and are very unlikely to result in harm. For example, the benefits of journaling, gratitude, volunteering and acts of kindness are all cited as supporting wellbeing. Find out more about Positive Psychology here. Some individuals find meditation and mindfulness helpful; however, there’s no reliable evidence of this having a positive impact on the mental health of school-age children and young people.
Where a student is experiencing a mental health issue that is beyond the usual challenges that many young people experience, these strategies are unlikely to be helpful. It is important to ensure that lessons do not imply that there are quick fixes or easy solutions for more serious ongoing mental health or emotional difficulties. However, health behaviour, awareness of the range of emotions and how to manage them and recognition of when professional support is required should be included in a universal PSHE programme.
5. Are there statutory responsibilities that schools must adhere to?
The updated RSHE/RHE statutory guidance includes additional focus on mental well-being. There is an expectation that students can accurately talk about feelings, be able to manage their emotions and distinguish between the ‘normal’ range of emotions and more serious mental ill health. Links between mental ill-health and other topics addressed within the PSHE curriculum are highlighted, including some of the behaviours that can trigger mental ill-health in some individuals. Input at primary school will build the foundations that secondary schools further develop throughout the teenage years.
In summary, signposting, reducing stigma and encouraging general health-related behaviour and understanding of self are all likely to be safe and effective approaches in the classroom. However, due to the lack of evidence on the use of more therapeutic approaches at a universal level, it would be wise to avoid these approaches within PSHE lessons.
Sources and further reading
Department for Education - RSHE/RHE Statutory Guidance 2025 – Primary - General wellbeing including emotional and mental health (page 21)
Secondary – Mental wellbeing (page 27)
Department for Education – Effectiveness of school mental health awareness interventions.
Lucy Foulkes - Mental health lessons don’t work https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/may/20/mental-health-lessons-school-dont-work-mindfulness
Positive Psychology - https://ppc.sas.upenn.edu/
Oxford University – MYRIAD study - https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2022-07-13-how-effective-school-based-mindfulness-training
The Association of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, https://www.acamh.org/
