International Focus on School Mental Health Measures

The tragic stabbing of a 7-year-old girl by a teacher in Daejeon, Korea, has brought attention to the lack of mental health management in Korean schools, highlighting the absence of legal measures to address educators’ mental health issues. In contrast, Cook County School District 130 in Illinois is proactively enhancing mental health support, supported by a $10 million federal grant, aiming to double its mental health staff and implement social-emotional learning programs. The Kerala state government in India is considering measures to address student mental health challenges following incidents highlighting the need for comprehensive support. A large-scale trial in England identified effective school-based mental health interventions, emphasizing the need for consistent, whole-school approaches to improve student wellbeing. Meanwhile, a directive from the U.S. Department of Education under the Trump administration threatens to withdraw support for transgender students, potentially affecting school-based mental health services.