The Impact of Teachers' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Barriers on Their Perceptions of Students with Mental Disorders

One in every five students in the Western world faces mental health challenges. Nevertheless, very little research to date has examined how teachers cope with these students. In the current study, we aimed to examine two main areas: (1) the relationship between teachers' knowledge of and attitudes toward students with mental disorders and their perceptions of student dangerousness and devaluation, and (2) the differences between special education teachers and regular education teachers in terms of these perceptions. This study employed a cross-sectional design that included 183 teachers from various regions across Israel. The findings indicate that higher levels of knowledge of mental health issues are positively correlated with more favorable attitudes. Additionally, positive attitudes toward individuals with mental health challenges are associated with lower perceptions of danger and devaluation. Moreover, a comparison between the two groups of teachers revealed that special education teachers reported higher levels of value reduction in assessing their students with mental disorders than their counterparts in regular education.