Beyond the gym: Quebec PHE teachers and the challenges of mental health education

Abstract

This article examines how physical and health education (PHE) teachers in Quebec approach mental health education. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with eight high school PHE teachers, our analysis identifies several key barriers that hinder the integration of meaningful mental health content in their classrooms. These include a lack of formal training, large class sizes, persistent stereotypes framing PHE as a non-cognitive subject, and limited instructional time. Additionally, early-career teachers highlighted how widespread use of limited-term teaching contracts in Quebec undermines their ability to build trusting relationships needed to engage students in sensitive discussions about mental health. While the small sample size limits the generalizability of our findings, the in-depth, nuanced accounts provided by participants offer valuable insights into the professional, structural, and relational challenges PHE teachers face. These challenges are not unique to Quebec but reflect broader systemic issues in secondary education related to the promotion of adolescent mental health.