Supporting Student Well-Being in Christian Schools: What Graduates Teach Us About Mental Health, Spiritual Formation, and School Environment

 

There is a mental health crisis among American children. Mental health concerns among adolescents continue to rise, with more than eight million children ages 3–17 experiencing a diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition (CDC, 2024). Research suggests that students in public and Protestant schools report similar mental health concerns (Swaner et al., 2024), and most mental health conditions emerge before age 18 (Velasco et al., 2020). Because schools are often the first place where concerns are observed, Christian schools have a unique opportunity to support students through positive relationships, spiritual formation, and access to mental health resources.