Characteristics and Attitudes of Pre-Service Teachers toward Individuals with Mental Illness

Abstract

Mental health in children and adults has always been a controversial topic, however, recent mass shootings in schools have heightened the concern of many and raise questions for how to interact with the mentally ill.  Schools, have the capacity to be one of the key stakeholders in delivering services to students with mental health concerns, therefore it is critical to understand the dispositions of teachers toward these students to ensure that they understand the needs of these students. The purpose of this study is to examine specific characteristic of preservice teachers’ attitudes towards individuals with mental illnesses. The study sample consisted of 173 preservice teachers enrolled in a four-year teacher education program at a public research university located in the southeastern United States.  Results indicated that four demographic variables contributed to preservice teacher’s attitudes on the Community Attitudes toward Mental Illness (CAMI) measure and its various subscales: political orientation, knowing someone with a mental illness, and believing ADHD and ASD were mental illnesses.  Implications for future research are discussed.

Keywords: Mental health, teacher preparation, emotional disturbance, EBD