Increasing Interdisciplinary Dialogue about What Matters for K-12 Students’ Mental Health

Abstract

Recent media coverage spotlights the burgeoning mental health crisis among adolescents and teens, amplifying the need to understand influences on student mental health. This secondary-source research project details findings from built-environment-focused studies of factors found to influence student mental health and studies published in top educational psychology journals examining the relationship of schools’ built and learning environments to K-12 students’ mental health. The study employs an ecological model as its framework, whereby students are conceptualized as affected by varying levels of environment ranging from micro to macro systems.1 The influence of the built environment on student mental health is often ignored; existing research linking student mental health to the built environment is scant. Factors in educational environments that impact student mental health include the presence of vegetation or nature, pleasant vistas, day-lighting, noise, material qualities of the environment, and classroom organization. Just as presence of nature and interior materiality have an impact on mental health, so do factors on which educational psychologists focus, such as social relationships, stress, and academic achievement. Current educational psychology literature fails to address the potential of the built environment for mental health, instead focusing primarily on the learning environment. Broadening the discussion in educational psychology to include built environment factors might reduce students’ anxiety levels, among other significant impacts on students’ health and wellbeing. Many people, decisions, programs, and initiatives can positively impact student health outcomes. In presenting this research, we hope to increase awareness and fuel discussions about the positive influence that the built environment of schools can have on student mental health and to propagate fruitful interdisciplinary dialogue and initiatives. Collaboration has the potential to engender a situation where students are educated in environments more supportive of positive mental health outcomes and contribute to reversing the mental health crisis among youth.