Abstract

With rising rates of mental health disorders among youth, schools have become essential settings for early identification and intervention, despite often facing resource limitations. This study surveyed 160 Illinois K-12 public school personnel to assess their knowledge of mental health, preparedness, and use of mental health skills. Regression analyses examined how individual-level demographic and professional characteristics influenced these outcomes. University-level training, prior completion of professional workshops, and roles in administration or healthcare were positively associated with higher pre-training mental health knowledge. These factors, along with roles in physical or mental/behavioural health, were also linked to greater self-reported preparedness and responsiveness. However, no significant associations were found between personnel characteristics and their reported use or application of mental health skills. These findings underscore the importance of targeted, role-specific training to strengthen school personnel’s capacity to support student mental health and promote more inclusive and responsive school environments.

Keywords:Youth; Mental health; Public schools; Teachers; Administrators; Training