What’s different about mental health in Christian schools?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

17 February, 2026

Leaders and teachers at Christian K-12 schools across the United States report significantly better mental health levels among their students compared to the broader American student population, according to a new survey.

The report found that 80 percent of respondents rated the overall mental health of their students as good or excellent. That contrasts sharply with data showing widespread mental health struggles among American students generally.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found in 2023 that 40 percent of students experienced persistent sadness or hopelessness. The same CDC research revealed that 20 percent of students seriously considered suicide and 10 percent attempted it.

In partnership with think tank Cardus, the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and the School Counseling Mental Health Initiative at Denver Seminary surveyed Christian school educators in late 2024. The survey asked about respondents’ perceptions of their students’ mental health and their own, as well as their school’s approach to mental health.

The report does not attribute causality to any specific factors for the mental health findings.  However, the data show certain patterns among schools where leaders rated mental health more positively. Specifically:

• Respondents tended to report better mental health levels at schools with cell phone control policies in place.
• Educators at schools prioritizing mental health, acknowledging its importance, or being equipped to address students’ concerns also saw higher ratings.
• Educators at schools integrating their faith with their mental health approaches tended to report better levels among their students, as well as among themselves as adults.

“As schools face mounting pressure to address school mental health challenges, it’s important to broaden the conversation about how to help all students, teachers, and leaders,” says Lynn E. Swaner, president, US at Cardus and a report co-author. “The contrast between troubling statistics about education as a whole and our survey of Christian school educators suggests that the school environment itself may play a role when it comes to differing mental health levels for students and staff, though the specific factors underlying these differences need more research.”

Dr. Rian Djita, director of research at ACSI, co-authored the report along with Dr. Adam Wilson, an associate professor of counseling at Denver Seminary.

Mental Health and Well-Being in Christian Schools: Educators’ Perspectives is freely available on the Cardus website.

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Daniel Proussalidis
Cardus – Director of Media & Public Relations
media@cardus.ca
613-899-5174

Cardus – Imagination toward a thriving society
Cardus is a non-partisan think tank dedicated to clarifying and strengthening, through research and dialogue, the ways in which society’s institutions can work together for the common good.