SEL Can Promote Mental Wellness: Essential in Times of Crisis

Student mental wellness matters now more than ever. Every young person will be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in some way, and schools must provide supports that serve the mental well-being of young people.

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By providing all young people with supports that promote their mental wellness, we can promote their well-being and help prevent harm during these distressing times. Supports for student mental wellness must vary and be responsive to students’ specific needs, especially during and after the COVID-19 emergency. Universal social-emotional learning (SEL) is an indispensable part of this equation because it can decrease emotional distress for young people and enhance their positive development.1, 2

Some initial resources for crisis support are:

National Hopeline Network: 800-442-HOPE (4673)

Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

MentalHealth.gov: 877-726 4727

Universal SEL Provides a Solid Foundation on Which to Develop Mental Wellness Supports

Access to SEL is more critical than ever because SEL promotes student mental wellness and can help young people manage mental health challenges or crises.3 Particularly in these times, it’s vital for schools and school systems to:

  • Implement SEL programs universally—meaning for all young people—as a best practice4 to help young people recognize and regulate strong emotions and cope better in challenging and stressful situations
  • Provide social-emotional learning programs as a foundation on which to develop additional mental wellness supports, such as group or individual counseling, which can be efficiently organized under a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS)5 and similar frameworks
  • Teach social and emotional skills as a Tier I support for all young people so mental health providers gain capacity to focus on Tier II and Tier III supports
  • Employ SEL to mitigate risks associated with trauma, such as sexual abuse and social isolation,6 by fostering SEL-related protective factors, such as connectedness, problem-solving, and healthy communication7
Each level of support can play a role in trauma-informed practices: Tier I—Universal Supports (where SEL and aligned practices exist to promote safety, well-being, and success for all students), Tier II—Targeted Interventions (such as small group work), Tier III—Intensive Supports (such as individualized intervention and support)

SEL Can Be Done While Learning Remotely

States such as Kansas, Mississippi, Utah, and New Mexico are incorporating SEL into their remote-learning guidance and response to COVID-19.8 Additionally, Committee for Children is providing online support and free resources to make SEL possible in remote-learning settings; you can find these resources here.

Policy Recommendations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  • Prioritize young people’s well-being by increasing access to mental wellness supports that mitigate risk factors and promote resilience.
  • Prioritize and coordinate universal SEL as part of a comprehensive program to promote mental well-being for all students.
  • Include SEL in remote-learning guidance and planning.
  • Increase funding available for universal SEL in coordination with more intensive mental wellness supports that reach across all learning settings, whether in school, after school, or during remote learning.

References

  1. Taylor, R. D., Oberle, E., Durlak, J. A., & Weissberg, R. P. (2017). Promoting positive youth development through school-based social and emotional learning interventions: A meta-analysis of follow-up effects. Child Development, 88(4), 1156–1171. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12864
  2. Kimber, B., Sandell, R., & Bremberg, S. (2008). Social and emotional training in Swedish classroom for the promotion of mental health: Results from an effectiveness study in Sweden. Health Promotion International, 23(2), 134–143. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/dam046

  3. Bierman, K. L., Coie, J. D., Dodge, K. A., Greenberg, M. T., Lochman, J. E., McMahon, R. J., & Pinderhughes, E. (2010). The effects of a multiyear universal social-emotional learning program: The role of student and school characteristics. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78(2), 156–168. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018607

    Flynn, D., Joyce, M., Weihrauch, M., & Corcoran, P. (2018). Innovations in practice: Dialectical behavior therapy—skills training for emotional problem solving for adolescents (DBT STEPS-A): Evaluation of a pilot implementation in Irish post-primary schools. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 23(4), 376–380. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12284

    Kimber, B., Sandell, R., & Bremberg, S. (2008). Social and emotional training in Swedish classroom for the promotion of mental health: Results from an effectiveness study in Sweden. Health Promotion International, 23(2), 134–143. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/dam046

  4. Bierman, K. L., Coie, J. D., Dodge, K. A., Greenberg, M. T., Lochman, J. E., McMahon, R. J., & Pinderhughes, E. (2010). The effects of a multiyear universal social-emotional learning program: The role of student and school characteristics. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78(2), 156–168. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018607

    Flynn, D., Joyce, M., Weihrauch, M., & Corcoran, P. (2018). Innovations in practice: Dialectical behavior therapy—skills training for emotional problem solving for adolescents (DBT STEPS-A): Evaluation of a pilot implementation in Irish post-primary schools. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 23(4), 376–380. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12284

  5. August, G. J., Piehler, T. F., & Miller, F. G. (2018). Getting “SMART” about implementing multi-tiered systems of support to promote school mental health. Journal of School Psychology, 66, 85–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2017.10.001

    Committee for Children. (2011). Kindergarten–grade 5 review of research. In Second Step: Skills for Social and Academic Success. [Kit]. https://assets.ctfassets.net/98bcvzcrxclo/4bNjPDpAhG6MgKKIeMqcU8/a63943328ef128e08fc21f5bf0dc6a43/K-5_Review_Research_SS.pdf

  6. Mazza, J. (2006). Youth suicidal behavior: A crisis in need of attention. In F. A. Villarruel & T. Luster (Eds), Adolescent mental health (pp. 156–177). Greenwood Publishing Group.

    Hall-Lande, J. A., Eisenberg, M. E., Christenson, S. L., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2007). Social isolation, psychological health, and protective factors in adolescence. Adolescence, 42(166), 265–286.

  7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Risk factors for suicide. https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide/riskprotectivefactors.html

    Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning. (2020). Core SEL competencies. https://casel.org/core-competencies/

  8. Kansas State Department of Education. (2020). Continuous learning task force guidance. https://www.ksde.org/Portals/0/Communications/Publications/Continuous%20Learning%20Task%20Force%20Guidance.pdf?ver=2020-03-19-084325-833