Spiak, Karolina2023-01-182023-01-182017-04http://hdl.handle.net/1807/126492Positive mental health and well-being is imperative for students to succeed in school and to function successfully. The purpose of this study was to examine how elementary teachers support students with mental health problems in meeting academic success. In addition, the study aimed to examine teachers’ perceptions on their role in responding to students’ mental health needs; their feelings of preparedness in supporting these needs; and understanding their experiences with students suffering from mental health issues. Convenience sampling was used to obtain two Ontario Certified Teachers that worked with students with mental health issues. In this qualitative study, participant data was collected through semi-structured interviews and the data was organized into four themes: awareness of mental illness in students, strategies for supporting students with mental health problems, challenges in supporting students’ mental health and teachers supports and resources. Teachers reported to have some level of comfort in supporting students’ mental health needs, as well as having minimal formal mental health training in preservice education programs. The findings demonstrate the importance of being responsive to student’s needs, as well as creating positive classroom environments to alleviate mental health symptoms in students. Teachers also reported the need for more support within the classroom to meet the needs of their students.en-camental healthteacher educationteacher perspectivesprofessional developmentresourceschallengesStudent Research Project