K-12 mental health, plainly explained

The MentalSpace School Journal

Research-grounded articles for school administrators, counselors, and educators — HB 268 compliance, universal screening, threat assessment, and what good school mental health looks like day-to-day.

Filtered: Family & Parent Support

9 articles

Clear filters

A Mixed-race teen girl sits at a kitchen table sharing a meal with her mother, the mother offering a supportive hand on the daughter's shoulder, warm afternoon natural light through the window — editorial documentary photo about teen eating disorder warning signs and family-based recovery

Family & Parent Support

Teen Eating Disorders: The Warning Signs Parents Always Miss

Teen eating disorders affect 13% of adolescents by age 20 and have the highest mortality of any mental health condition. Learn warning signs, evidence-based treatments, and what Georgia schools can do.

May 12, 202613 min read

A mother helping her teen daughter with homework at a dining table in warm evening light, representing the unstoppable strength of school moms

Family & Parent Support

The Unstoppable Strength of School Moms: Why Their Mental Health Matters

School moms advocate, attend, organize, and show up — often while exhausted. Their mental health is foundational to student wellness. Here's how schools can support it.

May 10, 20269 min read

A working mother in business casual reading to her child on a couch in afternoon light, representing the diverse caregivers raising Georgia students

Family & Parent Support

Thank You to Every Mom: Single Moms, Working Moms, and Grandmothers Raising Kids

Single moms, working moms, grandmothers, stepmoms, aunties, foster moms — every caregiver raising a Georgia kid deserves recognition and real mental health support.

May 10, 20269 min read

A diverse mother kneeling down to hug her elementary-school child outside a school building in morning sunlight, representing the role of parent involvement in student mental health

Family & Parent Support

Behind Every Thriving Student: The Strength of Mothers in School Wellness

Behind every thriving student is a mother whose strength makes it possible. We explore the parental role in student mental health and how schools can support both.

May 10, 20269 min read

A diverse Black mother sits at her kitchen table at 9 PM with a half-finished cup of tea and her phone face-down, looking quietly worried in soft lamp light — editorial documentary photograph about parental intuition kid mental health and the late-night parent worry that signals it is time to act.

Family & Parent Support

The 9 PM Parent Worry: Why Your Gut Is Data, Not Anxiety

Parent intuition about kid mental health is data, not anxiety. Why parents notice changes 2-4 weeks before teachers and how to act on what you already know.

May 7, 202611 min read

A diverse Black mother and her teenage daughter sit side-by-side on the front steps of their home in early evening light, the daughter holding her phone face-down on her knee while the mother listens calmly without making eye contact — editorial documentary photo about the one cyberbullying question parents can ask tonight to open the door without forcing disclosure.

Family & Parent Support

The One Cyberbullying Question to Ask Your Kid Tonight

The one cyberbullying question to ask your kid tonight, plus the family-to-district handoff Georgia schools use to coordinate care without forcing disclosure.

May 6, 202610 min read

A diverse Latina mother and her elementary-age son walk together through a quiet school hallway after a meeting, the mother's hand resting gently on her son's shoulder as he looks up at her — editorial documentary photo about parents navigating child behavior issues at school with empathy rather than discipline

Family & Parent Support

Principal Keeps Calling? It Might Not Be a Behavior Problem

Child behavior issues at school often have a clinical cause — anxiety, ADHD, or trauma — not a discipline one. Here is what to look for and what helps.

May 3, 202610 min read

A diverse Latina mother and her teenage son sit in a parked car at twilight, both facing forward at the road and dashboard with soft amber light on their faces, the son speaking and the mother listening — editorial documentary photo about how teenage boys open up in side-by-side conversations rather than face-to-face meetings

Family & Parent Support

How to Talk to Teenage Boys About Mental Health

Talking to teenage boys about mental health works best side-by-side, not face-to-face. Use the car, micro openers, and the second silence — not the kitchen-table summit.

May 2, 202611 min read

A diverse Black father walks side-by-side with his teenage son on a tree-lined sidewalk after school, both relaxed but the dad listening intently — editorial documentary photo about how boys open up when conversation isn't face-to-face

Family & Parent Support

Why 75% of Boys Won't Tell Parents They're Struggling — And What Schools Can Do

Three out of four boys won't tell a parent when they're struggling emotionally. The reasons are predictable — and so are the openings that get them to talk. A K-12 guide.

May 2, 20269 min read

Listen anywhere

Listen to the MentalSpace School podcast

Three new episodes a day for K-12 administrators, counselors, and educators — HB 268 updates, threat assessment, and the day-to-day of school mental health. Subscribe wherever you listen.

View all