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Teachers’ responsibilities for students’ mental health: Challenges in high achieving schools

Authors:
  • National Coalition of Independent Scholars
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Abstract

Abstract Teachers in the US are now considered integral to promoting students’ mental health; here we report on two major challenges for educators in high achieving schools (HAS). The first involves high adjustment disturbances among students. We present data on nine HAS cohorts showing elevated rates of clinically significant symptoms relative to norms; rates of anxious-depressed symptoms, in particular, were six to seven times those in national norms on average. As high achieving youth often keep internalizing symptoms hidden, their teachers will need help in understanding how to identify early signs of these types of distress, and to ensure appropriate, timely interventions. The second challenge we consider has to do with relationships between service providers and parents. Data obtained from the former showed that they tend to perceive relatively wealthy parents more negatively, and as more likely to threaten litigation, compared to parents from middle- or low-income backgrounds. We discuss the importance of proactively addressing such potentially adversarial relationships for the success of both the early detection of HAS students’ adjustment problems, and appropriate interventions for them. Next, we appraise how the aforementioned challenges can greatly exacerbate risks for burnout among educators in HAS settings, and how this might be alleviated via evidence-based, institutional-level interventions. Schools must ensure ongoing support for educators who carry the weighty, dual charge of tending to the emotional needs of a group of highly stressed students, in addition to ensuring their continued, exemplary levels of educational accomplishments.
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nicolezillmer@gmail.com
Acknowledgements: Support for this work was provided by Authentic Connections Co. The article
was prepared while Suniya Luthar was on the faculty at Arizona State University (ASU). For their
many contributions to this program of research, the authors are grateful to graduate students and
postdocs from Luthar’s laboratories at ASU and prior to that, at Columbia University’s Teachers
College.
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2
Educators in high-achieving settings
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9<8=1-6/39<8>, 
3:39<8?,0:@9<8?1A
-B0/B01
-4
-/3(:#
9<8=1'A.
6/
&6C:B9<8=1
6-6-
-D6EF5
/0'19<8=#3C;
-5-
4G
/@*:69<8=1
'$:B/'$B9<8H1526
0'--
56

3
Educators in high-achieving settings
73-
-B0
0'6
---6
6
0'2-
--


4 589

4/9<8=81
D-

E4
A
/9<8=1
 -'-6

(&%53B:3/9<8=1
4
45
3

-


-I
7--*
6-2
/ 3:39<8?1A
/B01
B0,
A--4*
4
Educators in high-achieving settings
 3:/9<8J8??12
D-5
A
A
56-E(
2-4
/ : 9<<J1-

/B0'9<8J1

&B0A
4-#
/9<8=1*B0
K-
,-"
4
4--
-
5
-*
(/9<8=14*-
-L
55--
64

4*
@&M-
A
-6-

 !"
'.-
/0'1--I
3
5
Educators in high-achieving settings
0'
/: 9<8=,@*:69<8=1

-G/ 
&:9<8=, :!1
-*4
AB
-

IA0'6
425
#/8HHN1
5-5
0'A
6--,I!!
!-
0'
-
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-,2
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/$5&958O-
-9<8O1
6
Educators in high-achieving settings
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'
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8<589OOH=
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
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9<8=/"9<8H1B88=<
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7#5&6
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'453-5,
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8
Educators in high-achieving settings
4*-#5
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@9<8=)/#9<8?1
-6-0'
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-D3
/--1&-
-E
70'--
--A
2F#
8HHH9??8/':#9<<81
-6-
35&4/ 9<8H1--
8<<<<%
2
9
Educators in high-achieving settings

-/
: 9<8=1
()&)&

.6"

5-6
A5
/: 9<8=1
".A
/B@6:@9<8H1

A-
-
25/3
@*: 9<8O1
'
-5
4-6S
4-A,-I
5DE
-26
/-1A/(9<8=1'
40'-
44-6

'(/9<8=1

---6
.&

I-
10
Educators in high-achieving settings
-DE/3:
9<8>1
DE.
.
-5--
---
-4
/9<<N13
--5-
6-G
*0'
-6
-4
--
&-
45-5
--/1
"/"1/1/16


"-I
6
20--
--HJPO=
I
#NN-69</
-1=/--
1=?DE"-6-
-ONP,89P,HP,
>P,SNPO?
?H8JO8/H>OP1-6-
-8N58=,8H/9?NP1-J58955/8NP1-
J

"#F
11
Educators in high-achieving settings
"I--992/
91"-6---6
--55-56'
8N6"-

/91T8>6
-H(H
25/<5895N>5JO5
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'-4-
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U7SU#S9-
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99-6"
2
/1--5
/1--5
/1-,/1
/1--'
"-6
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36*VOO+/>8J91V?ONNQ<<<8-5
/'()'1-I/1
A'2A-7S
---A*/,91NJ
-4A
2#'()'-A
12
Educators in high-achieving settings
IA-,9
/N1(A--
-'5
-5-6
'
--6-
/1-5/1

'
-
W-6W
--D-E
-6
;G--5
W-5W6
'
---5-
556-

'-
-
/:BX*9<89,06:9<<H1
-
/8HH91(/9<8O1

D
Y-6
E
B-6
L*55
/1
-
$
--
13
Educators in high-achieving settings

5I'(
/9<8=1-


*'
7--A
B00'2
-6'-6
Z-/39<8=166-
6
.
A/39<8=1
2*
6-0'
26
66-
4-4*'

/9<8=1
0';
/9<8=14A

-6-
-6-4
-*-
-
/;9<8=1
3-
46-
#*
'5/1
3B/9<8H1-D-
ED-
14
Educators in high-achieving settings
-6
.4
B
-I
3-
E6
-
+"!
7-
0'655L
-'#/9<8H1
-
&6C:B/9<8=1
-5A
-4
I

.
6
(/9<8O165
30/'1-8889
*)($DY-
A4-A-
AK--6
E"A
-A
,-
3)($*5
--
-6-4
(--
-
15
Educators in high-achieving settings

D-E-
-6'--5
--
K
-D4E'0'6
6-5,
60'
--
6

,!"
B00'
6--5
%--6
K4/
76: 9<8O10-
/@&-:'9<8J142
B*D8J4-6-4
.'E/#
9<8=1
(
4/@9<8J, 9<8<,
C:@9<<H1
6/"6:
39<8=1
--.

/-)-7;:"6
1;-'3
/9<8=1-6',
*6
-6-
16
Educators in high-achieving settings
 )


$A
6-
(I-
A-
/39<8=1'-DE
-I
/: 9<8=1
'
-6
--6-0'--6
--
;6
5DE
5-
/ 3:
09<8=126
2---42-
D""-6-L6
-66E


-5,4
/:$9<8O,B9<8H,3:
B9<8H1'3/9<8=1

A*
-/;0:(*
9<<O,9<8=1
;/A154

17
Educators in high-achieving settings
'@/$:
9<8O155-6-
--L
655-A-63
*/$:
9<8O1-4A/ :&
1-
HS8<5(
0'25
A

4
--
'-0'-
4'
6*0'
--
-I
6L
-'

L5L-
D-6E/
9<8=1A--5
L6--
#
'B:#'/9<<8./ ))
!#&)%)#
F:;
'/9<8?1%6
'012=?O5=J8
7: 0/9<8=1&#-
18
Educators in high-achieving settings
'370K6@;
/$1 /885N81
"-*
7*5-&/9<8O13'A
4[#
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/11/magazine/why-are-more-american-
teenagers-than-ever-su$ering-from-severe-anxiety.html
;007:(*'/9<<O17-5
['*A5
''34/J1H8J5HN>
;@0-":!65'*C/9<8=1
K%
'370K6@;/$1
 /N?O5N=81
"-*
@*B&:6B/9<8=1)560!
+7!!(--6)8(!/
S----.S
SSSS\S9<8=S-.>>?HN?SS-.>>?HN?\8
@B&-C:'#B/9<8J1'
9--#$&"
"#"%
06$B&/9<<H1"'I
)-::;8H?L99?8<8<=JS?H?JJ?
0B :@'$/9<8J10 
#-F6-F6
C"':@B/9<<H1

(%(-1</81>H85?9?
8<N8<9S<<N>J?>N<=N9?JHN
BC: 3C/9<<J1(-
(-(@

19
Educators in high-achieving settings
 BCB&#0:/9<8=1%6
6-'5
=!!-4>-8==H58H<J
SSS8<8<8OS<H?>?OH>8=<<88>8
/9<8H135&4'
%B''
33F:/9<8J1B"
'0-2:/N18?>58?=
33F:0B/9<8=1
4['370K6@;
/$1 /=N58<81
"-*
33F:3B/$1/9<8?16
?!!/%"
/9<8<17
(%-;4/819O5N?8<8<=<S<<8N8H8<89<<NNJ9=
':B*)/9<891UF
K-
-@;9<8598=8<88OOS<<N=<><O88>N?=??
'3K670:;@/9<8H1
"-*
7;76: B/9<8O1'
-5'.5
7!34/919J9L9OO
SSS8<8<NOS<<<<<O<
/9<<N1G"-
0=!1A8?=858?HN
/9<8O173
[!-:3-88?N588?=
7(8<88OOS8O>?JH8J8OO9O=JN
:&60/9<891'GD6E[)
=!!-
3A->9H5>>H
'C$C:B/9<8O1
20
Educators in high-achieving settings
;D'
@E5B/
7(SS4S8<8<8JS.-9<8O<9<<O
:$/9<8O1#56
0-4*0
=!-@@-NNOLN>H
: /9<8=1F5
5'3
7066@; 
6)+%/>>85>?=1-F6
 :!/9<8H10'
26"
)/(2
S8<8<NOS<<<<??J
B'@6B:@'5B/9<8H1
"$#/#$%#1@6
B
B0'/9<8J1A:6#
!!/#
SS---SS52
'$B/9<8H1C
6)-!-!D/
SS4S8<8O99JS9?>JJ
(B&3'%53CB$:3B7/9<8=1
3-65['37
0K6@;/$1 
/NN5>H1"-*
(7/9<8O1KG#
---S*S5S59<8OS5K55G5
55S[
\V-:\V:\V:\V

"6C7''@:3B/9<8=1$
21
Educators in high-achieving settings
A
'370K6@;/$1
 /8=?58HO1
"-*
"/9<8H10'"-'9<8J9<8O9<8=
9<8H# https://blog.prepscholar.com/historical-percentiles-new-
sat.
# /9<8=1U-6.
-6'#
https://time.com/longform/teaching-in-america/.
#C$:7/8HHN1 '%= (60-
!-!/7
"??59H/
#0 '3'6B5'B$#:"5
6C/9<8H1B
''370K6@;
/$1 /89O58>91
"-*
#0/9<8?1)#
SS---S*SS9<8?S89S555
S>8N8><S]5
#CC;B&:&67/9<<H106"B
'"'
7'/9<8=./="65!
%/0$"
#&/8HH91G(&C7"-67C:
-(3/$1!%6)!
!!/9JH59==137'"
'
 0&60C':B/9<8=1&(*
5-
'370K6@;/$1
 /J?5=81"
-*
22
Educators in high-achieving settings
 3#'7/9<8>16
!%3>:A/#SS6-S-5
SS9<8?S<?S9<8?56-55
)-C77;'B:"6C0/1$5
#*#"
4=!/
3B7@*' : 7/9<8O1)
!!!E.6
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9" 5$6( <<8
>$ 5$6# <<<
8N'-" 5$86 5<NO
J#" 5$85 5<N<
?-" <98 5$6:
89"-" 5<8< 5$68
8#/"1 5<9O 5$6;
O" 5<88 5$67
H"" 5<NO 5$87
:>/)!% >/44 >/A:
#;$<=  
>
1- 5$6; 5<8>
1-5 5$88 <<9
1I 5$89 <<H
1 5$85 5<8=
1- 5$;7 5<8J
1 5<88 5$67
25
Educators in high-achieving settings
1 <<H 5$66
.% >/>A >/>1
.!!)= ! >/31 >/AA
$-
N
0!!B!B!B6
8D9
" 
A
T
A
- B 0
 B
= B
= B = + ,3+,3
7S 9O9 <J
J
9H9 <J? NN> <O
9
NJ=J
``` <N> <HJ <<8
(S NO? <J
NNH< <?< NON <J
<8NN <<9 8>> <<9
") +,3+,3
;-
 9N= <H
=N<9 <HN N<? 8<
9
8O<>
``` <8H 8<=O`` <8N

 N8< 8<
<9H9 <H> N99 89
99N9 <<N 89O8`` <8?
- 8?9 <O
O8OH <H> 99H 8N
=
8==>
``` <9< 9O>` <<>
26
Educators in high-achieving settings
"6- NN8 88
?N>N <=O N89 8<
><NH <<8 8>? <<9
 8HN 8<
O9N> <HN 9?J 8<
O
8>H>``
`<8O 9H9` <<>
$/`!Q<8,``!Q<<8GHHH!I<<<8,3<N8<N<A*

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