Frankfurt/ Berlin, April 28, 2022

Two thirds of teachers do not feel they are qualified for dealing with mental conditions of students.


Based on an online survey designed together with two researchers, the partner company Lehrerkolleg LK GmbH LK conducted a nation-wide online teacher survey between February 11 and March 2, 2022, on student mental health. More than 600 people participated in the survey. Feedback was received from teachers in 15 German federal states.

Participants by type of school: 35% teachers at upper secondary schools, 32% at primary schools, 9.0% at integrated comprehensive schools, 6% at special schools. 18% of the participants work at other types of schools (including vocational schools, lower secondary schools, comprehensive schools, and additive comprehensive schools).

Two thirds, or 67%, of those surveyed did not feel they were qualified or not qualified at all for dealing with affected students. 
37 % of the teachers responding did not feel that they were trained at all for dealing with students with mental disorders, while 29% felt they had only very little training and 23% that they had a medium amount of training. 10% of teachers surveyed felt that they were well to very well prepared for working with students suffering from a mental condition.

Depression, followed by suicidal ideation, anxiety disorder, and aggressive and self-injurious behavior were the diagnoses that teachers wanted to know more about. In return, the teachers wanted to have the opportunity to participate in in-service training and to have personal talks with experts.

The most important thing for the teachers surveyed was for them to receive specific recommendations for dealing with mental conditions and to have an opportunity to practice conversing with affected students.

The results of the online survey are currently being scientifically evaluated and serve as an important basis for the training and prevention measures of tomoni mental health.