A teacher’s reflections about post-secondary students’ well-being
After 25 years in the classroom, 13 of them at the post-secondary level, I’ve come to appreciate that teaching extends far beyond lesson plans, corrections and preparing students for their MATSEC examinations. It’s a vocation grounded in empowerment, motivation, empathy, patience and the quiet privilege of helping students extend beyond their zone of proximal development to flourish and grow into who they are meant to be.
Among my colleagues, I see the same dedication of teachers who go beyond their academic duties to listen, guide and care. Many of us choose to remain in the classroom, even if we are qualified to move into leadership positions, because this is where we feel most connected to the true purpose of education: supporting our students’ learning and well-being.
But in recent years the world has seen a rising number of students struggling with their mental health and overall well-being. These students are bright, capable young people, yet many feel overwhelmed by academic pressures, such as workloads, deadlines, fear of failing the final MATSEC examinations at the end of the two-year course, other personal expectations and the demands of a hyperconnected world.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) reminds us that well-being and mental health are not merely individual concerns but are profoundly influenced by demographic, social, cultural, economic, neighbourhood and environmental factors. These are known as the social determinants of health.
The WHO’s Commission on Social Determinants of Health (2008) and the Dahlgren and Whitehead model (1991) both highlight that health and well-being are influenced by concentric layers surrounding each person: individual lifestyle factors, social and community networks and broader socio-economic, cultural and environmental conditions.
Within Maltese post-secondary schools, these determinants are lived realities. Distal factors such as family income, housing stability or early childhood experiences cast long shadows on a student’s well-being. Proximal factors, on the other hand, act more immediately, such as exam anxiety, friendship problems, social media comparison or the heartbreak of not achieving the expected grades.
Students are bright, capable young people, yet many feel overwhelmed by academic pressures, other personal expectations, and the demands of a hyperconnected world
As a teacher, I have seen students who seem outwardly confident yet silently wrestle with fear of failure, financial difficulties or uncertainty about their future. The competition for entry into courses such as medicine, which requires A or B grades in two A-levels and one Intermediate, amplifies this stress.
Behind every grade is a young person navigating the turbulence of development, characterised by hormonal fluctuations that can influence mood, anxiety and emotional regulation. Biological factors play a substantial role in shaping these experiences.
Genetic variations and mutations may predispose some individuals to mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and others.
At the same time, lifestyle habits, such as unhealthy eating, can lead to deficiencies in essential nutrients vital for optimal brain function and neurotransmitter production.
Gut microbiota, often underestimated, also contributes to emotional and cognitive health through the gut-brain axis, influencing how we process stress and maintain balance.
When these systems are disrupted, students may find it harder to focus, retain information or manage emotional strain. Understanding these biological underpinnings allows educators and caregivers to respond with greater compassion, recognising that a student’s struggles are not signs of weakness but reflections of the intricate interplay between body, brain and environment.
Mental health problems do not define who a person is. They are experiences, not identities. As one quote by British author Matt Haig beautifully puts it: “You walk in the rain and feel the rain, but you are not the rain.” In schools, we must create safe spaces where students can acknowledge the rain without being drenched by it.
Addressing such complex, multifactorial issues requires a whole-school approach. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 calls for the inclusion of mental health care within universal health coverage. In educational settings, this translates into prevention at three levels:
• Primary prevention, which promotes well-being and prevents the onset of mental health problems through psychoeducation, resilience building and supportive teacher-student relationships;
• Secondary prevention, which aims to reduce the prevalence of existing cases by providing timely interventions, such as counselling and peer-support groups;
• Tertiary prevention, which focuses on rehabilitation, helping students manage chronic conditions and reintegrate successfully into learning environments.
In Maltese post-secondary schools, these ideals are put into practice through the dedication of one counsellor often serving over a thousand students and around 200 staff, supported by external agencies. Their work, alongside teachers, guidance teachers and the senior leadership team, embodies the very principles the WHO advocates: improving daily conditions, reducing inequities and measuring the impact of interventions.
Doctoral researchers like myself are working to measure, assess and address these mental health and well-being challenges among Maltese post-secondary students. Through studies exploring resilience, coping strategies and systemic collaboration, we aim to generate evidence that informs policy and practice, ensuring that no student’s potential is lost to unrecognised distress.
Mental health is everyone’s responsibility. As educators, parents and policymakers, we must remember that behind every assignment and exam sits a young person whose emotional world matters as much as their grades. If we nurture the mind and the heart together, we truly educate the whole person. And that, I believe, is the essence of teaching.
Josephine Ebejer Grech is a doctoral candidate specialising in the neuroscience, neuroplasticity, metacognition, well-being and academic resilience of post-secondary students.
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