Teachers Spend More Time on Student Mental Health, Study Finds
Nearly 60 percent of teachers say they spent more time supporting student mental health in 2025-26 than in fall 2024, a RAND survey released October 21 found, adding eight hours a week to their load.
Teacher mental health load is growing, according to a new nationwide survey released on October 21 by the research group RAND Corp. Nearly 60 percent of teachers said they spent more time supporting students and families on mental health and well-being in the 2025-26 school year than they did in fall 2024, adding to an already heavy workload. The survey covered nearly 900 public school teachers across the country. Mental health and behavior support now take up eight hours of teachers time every school week, within and outside contract hours. That time comes on top of lesson planning, grading, and family communication, leaving less room for rest and recovery.
The survey also found that a majority of teachers see student well-being as a moderate to severe problem for instruction. Teachers report students arriving at school with more, and more severe, behavioral and mental health needs than in past years. Absenteeism, low motivation, and limited parent involvement add to the strain. Ninety-six percent of teachers described their jobs as emotionally draining, compared with little more than half of similarly educated professionals in other fields. The findings do not suggest that teachers are unwilling to help students.
Easing teacher mental health load
Teacher mental health load can be eased when schools share the work across a team rather than leaving it to one classroom teacher. Counselors, social workers, nurses, and community partners can handle cases that need specialist care, while teachers focus on steady routines, clear expectations, and warm relationships in class. Schools can also protect planning time, limit after-hours messages, and give teachers training that is practical rather than generic.
The RAND findings are a reminder that student well-being and teacher well-being are linked. When teachers are exhausted, it is harder to notice a quiet student, de-escalate a tense moment, or plan a thoughtful lesson. Districts that invest in counseling staff, reduce non-teaching duties, and listen to teachers about workload are investing in learning too. The survey does not offer a single fix, but it gives leaders a clear measure of the problem: eight extra hours a week, most teachers feeling drained, and a growing share of the school day spent on care.
Source: Education Week
