A Motivational Interviewing Tip to Help Teachers Respond to Student Disclosures

The onset of symptoms for common mental health disorders typically occurs during adolescence. Current research estimates that up to 20 percent of youth will experience a mental health condition, yet fewer than half will receive treatment. Of those who receive treatment, up to 80 percent do so in a school setting. Although school counselors are positioned to provide direct services to address mental health needs, teachers are often the first to recognize students in distress. Furthermore, students may disclose first to teachers, and how teachers respond matters.

Consider a student who engages in self-injurious behaviors. They finally build up enough courage to share their struggles with a favorite teacher, and the teacher responds with, “Ouch, doesn’t that hurt?” or “Ew, why would you do that? You’re going to have scars for life!” The student then becomes withdrawn and reluctant to share with adults, because they feel like nobody gets it. This adored and well-meaning teacher likely responded out of fear and concern, and probably does not have expansive mental health training.

My favorite professional development topic is school-wide mental health literacy. During these workshops, I am repeatedly asked how school counselors can help teachers in this area. Teachers do not need to assume the role of a mental health professional (and ethically, nor should they) to be aware of common mental health disorders, symptoms and how to respond to student disclosures.

My go-to technique to help teachers respond to student disclosures is the OARS model of motivational interviewing. OARS stands for open-ended questions, affirmations, reflections, and summaries. A disclaimer — this is a quick tip, not an overview of motivational interviewing. If you need a brush up, or would like additional techniques, I highly recommend “Motivational Interviewing for School Counselors” by Reagan North.

Using OARS, let’s go back to the self-injury example. After the student discloses, the teacher would thank the student for trusting them and sharing, then follow OARS. For example:

Open-ended questions
How long has this been going on?
I’d like to hear more about your experience. When is it worse/better?

Affirmations
You are so brave for sharing this information with me.
Wow, you are so insightful.

Reflective listening
Student: “My mom promised we would have a movie night, just the two of us, but she invited her boyfriend over. I was so pissed and instead of getting in a fight and having my phone taken away again, I cut.”
Teacher: “Your mom’s change of plans was a big disappointment for you.” Or, “You really wanted to hang out with your mom.”

Summary
Wrap up the content of the interaction, applaud/thank the student for disclosing, and recommend they share the information with their school counselor. The teacher can offer to do this, escort the student to the school counselor’s office or encourage the student to do this on their own. It all depends on the severity of the situation. Obviously, if the student is in crisis (danger to self or others, someone is hurting them or they plan to hurt someone else), a referral to a school mental health professional should be immediate, with or without permission.

I recommend delivering 5- to 10-minute didactic trainings like this on mental health topics at staff/faculty meetings. Offer tips for recognizing common mental health conditions and how to respond, and follow up with an infographic or flyer as a reminder. By continuing to openly discuss mental health, we can reduce shame and stigma, and improve the likelihood of successful prevention and intervention.

Contact Julia V. Taylor, Ph.D., VSCA chair and an assistant professor at the University of Virginia, via VSCA’s leadership page.