Promotion of mental health in a chilean public school: the findings of the AME Project (Emotional Mental Learning)

Abstract

The main objective of the project was to promote mental health in a school community. A case study with a sequential mixed approach (QUAN-QUAL) with a socio-constructive methodological orientation was designed. The results show a high percentage of teachers, education assistants and students with no psychopathologies and with a high general well-being; however, there is an important group that shows suspicion of subthreshold psychopathology and medium well-being. Teachers and education assistants show a tendency to anxiety and insomnia and somatic symptoms, while students to depression and social dysfunction, no differences were observed according to gender. It is concluded that there is a significant gap between the state of mental health and well-being of teachers, education assistants and students, to the detriment of students. The shortcomings of the external educational environment is a critical factor that can generate negative emotional states for teacher professional development.