ALEXANDRIA, Va., (May 1, 2023)—May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and National PTA has released the results of a national survey that included parent perspectives on children’s mental health. The survey found that parents’ support for mental health resources and services continues to grow, and parents want to be active participants when it comes to their child’s emotional and mental health. The survey included over 1,300 parents and guardians with children in grades K-12 in public schools. It was conducted March 1-20, 2023, by Edge Research and with support from the CDC Foundation.

Key findings of the survey show:

• Parents’ support for mental health resources and services continues to grow. Eight-in-10 parents support schools conducting evaluations to identify emotional or mental health support needs for their children, with Black parents showing the greatest support at 85%. However, fewer than two-thirds of parents are familiar with school processes in this arena, and less than half think their schools do an excellent or very good job identifying these needs.
• Parents want to be active participants when it comes to their child’s emotional and mental health. They want to be notified if their child receives mental health support from school, and most would prefer the opportunity to consent to that support or evaluation by the school.
• Parents overwhelmingly believe adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have long-term effects on children’s mental health and learning. They believe schools need to take these factors into account as they determine how best to support students, including in the classroom. And while not a familiar term yet, once defined for them, parents believe teachers and staff should be trained in trauma-informed care.
• Parents want to be notified about incidents that happen at their child’s school, especially if they involve their child. They also want to be notified immediately of any incident associated with school violence, whether or not it directly involves their child. Currently, schools receive moderately positive marks for their notification systems.

“As we move into Mental Health Awareness Month, it is essential that we make sure all families are aware of and have access to mental health resources, programs and services, as well as are engaged and included in decisions being made when it comes to their child’s emotional and mental health,” said Anna King, president of National PTA. “As underscored by the survey findings, parents want to be active participants and want information on mental and emotional health support needs for their children, where to find help, and how to cope with and best support children who have had negative childhood experiences.”

In the survey:

• 72% of parents reported they strongly support schools providing resources and services to support their child’s emotional and mental health. This is up from 65% of parents who reported this in the previous survey wave, which was conducted from November to December 2022.
• 81% of parents surveyed support their child’s school conducting evaluations of all students to identify areas where they could use additional support for their emotional or mental health.
• 63% of parents reported being familiar with their school’s process for identifying emotional and mental health needs.
• 45% of parents rated their child’s school “excellent” or “very good” when it comes to identifying students’ emotional and mental health needs.

More than three-in-four parents reported being at least somewhat comfortable with each mental health evaluation approach included in the survey. Parents are most comfortable when they are involved in the evaluation approach. Support for sharing the information from evaluations, however, is mixed, and overall, parents want their child’s school to notify them if they are providing their child with mental health support, with 94% of parents agreeing with this.

• 68% of parents say they want schools to use the information from evaluations to inform them of how their child is doing emotionally/mentally.
• 65% of parents want the information from the evaluations to connect their child/family with resources at school to support their emotional/mental health.
• 56% of parents want this information to connect them with resources outside of school.

When asked about the impact of adverse childhood experiences on student mental health, ability to learn and school-based needs:

• 92% of parents agree[1] that adverse childhood experiences like abuse, death of a loved one or pet, family problems, poverty or social challenges can have a long-term negative impact on a child’s emotional and mental health.
• 91% of parents also agree such experiences can have a long-term negative impact on a child’s development and ability to learn.
• 89% of parents agree that such experiences should be taken into account as schools identify ways to best support their students.

Parents also believe teachers and staff need to consider these life experiences, with 86% of parents agreeing with this. Eighty-five percent of parents reported they support teachers and staff being trained in trauma-informed care once it was defined for them, although only 37% of parents reported being familiar with this framework of practice. When it comes to trauma-informed care:

• 79% of parents reported information on where to find help outside of school for children who have had certain negative experiences would be helpful.
• 77% of parents reported information on how to cope with different negative childhood experiences would be helpful.
• 76% of parents reported training for them on how to best support children who have had certain negative childhood experiences would be helpful.
• 76% of parents reported school-based programs or resources offered for children who have had certain negative experiences in or outside of school would be helpful.

“These findings highlight that parents increasingly recognize and support the critical role schools play in meeting the mental and emotional health needs of their students. Parents also want to be active participants in schools' efforts to meet their children's needs. This partnership between schools and parents will be key in addressing the current mental health crisis among young people,” said Dr. Kathleen Ethier, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Adolescent and School Health.

Findings from the survey also show that parents’ comfort level with having their children in school continues to rise, but this comfort remains uneven across key subgroups, especially among Black and Hispanic parents. Parents’ concerns about school violence saw another statistically significant increase in the survey from the previous survey wave (fielded November–December 2022). Additionally, findings from the survey show an increase in parents’ worries about schools making decisions based on false information and children learning inaccurate or misleading information. Across all concerns, Hispanic parents are significantly more worried than Black and White parents.

“Though parents’ outlook on COVID-19 continues to improve, parents are increasingly concerned with school-based violence and other issues, such as misinformation,” said Judy Monroe, MD, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. “This survey provides critical insight into parental perspectives on child safety in schools.”

This is the fifth in a series of surveys exploring parents’ mindsets commissioned by National PTA and supported by the CDC Foundation, including one reported in September 2021, one reported in January 2022, one reported in June 2022 and one reported in March 2023. This was the second survey in the 2022-2023 school year. There will be a third survey that will be reported ahead of the end of the school year.

As part of the release of the research findings and Mental Health Awareness Month, National PTA, in partnership with the CDC Foundation, will host a virtual townhall on Mental Health Action Day, May 18 at 7 p.m. EDT. The townhall, Creating Safe, Supportive Learning Environments for All Students, will feature conversations with experts, advocates and parent leaders on the state of adolescent mental health, efforts to foster student well-being and how parent leaders can champion school-based mental health in their communities. It will be streamed live on National PTA’s Facebook page and Twitter and YouTube accounts.

“The findings from our parent surveys provide valuable insight into parents’ views on topics important to children’s success as well as areas where efforts can be strengthened to better help them reach their full potential,” said Nathan R. Monell, CAE, National PTA executive director. “PTA remains committed to bringing together families, schools and communities; bringing knowledge, tools and resources into the lives of families; making sure families voices and perspective are heard and included; and making sure families have what they need to navigate challenges and thrive.”

About the Survey

The online survey was conducted by Edge Research among a nationwide sample of 1,387 parents and guardians with children in grades K-12 in public school. The survey was fielded in English and Spanish from March 1 through 20, 2023. Data were weighted to be representative of public-school parents in the U.S. This survey represents the fifth wave of a tracking study and the second wave of the 2023 survey program. Wave 1 was conducted July 23 to Aug. 8, 2021, Wave 2 was conducted Nov. 9-24, 2021, Wave 3 was conducted April 24 to May 9, 2022, and Wave 4 was conducted Nov. 29 to Dec. 15, 2022.

Year 1 of this project was supported by the CDC Foundation by way of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and as part of a financial assistance award totaling $447,531 with more than 99% funded by CDC/HHS and $2,400, less than 1%, funded by non-government source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government. 

Year 2 of this project was supported by the CDC Foundation by way of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and as part of a financial assistance award totaling $477,893 and is 100% funded by CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

About National PTA

National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth. For more information, visit PTA.org.