New Vademécum Supports Spanish Educators in Tackling Mental Health and Bullying in Schools
A new vademécum launched by Fundación Mapfre, Grupo Anaya, and Siena Educación provides Spanish teachers with essential tools to address student mental health and bullying, emphasizing emotional well-being in schools.
- • Fundación Mapfre, Grupo Anaya, and Siena Educación introduce a mental health vademécum for schools.
- • 70.1% of teachers see the necessity of mental health protocols, but only 31.1% rate student emotional well-being positively.
- • The vademécum guides educators on early detection of emotional issues, bullying, and screen addiction.
- • Educators emphasize the ongoing impact of bullying and the need for emotional intelligence in teaching.
Key details
Amid growing awareness of mental health challenges among students in Spain, a new comprehensive guide has been introduced to support educators in fostering emotional well-being and addressing critical issues such as bullying. Funded by Fundación Mapfre, Grupo Anaya, and Siena Educación, the 'Salud mental y bienestar emocional en la escuela' vademécum offers practical strategies for teachers on early identification and management of emotional difficulties within schools.
According to a 2025 study cited in the vademécum, while 70.1% of teachers recognize the importance of establishing mental health protocols, only 31.1% assess their students' emotional well-being as good. Javier Urra, director of the vademécum, underscored the pivotal role schools play in detecting emotional distress, as many students do not openly communicate their struggles. The guide addresses 115 common concerns faced by educators, including self-harm, bullying, and screen addiction.
Complementing this initiative are insights from Águeda Gasulla, a vocational training teacher at the FP Clarín center, who highlights how mental health issues, such as anxiety and the lingering effects of bullying, continue beyond childhood. Gasulla observes that many young students aged 18 to 20 carry emotional scars that affect their self-esteem and social interactions. She stresses that managing emotions is as vital as academic teaching and calls for emotional intelligence to be an essential part of education.
Gasulla further cautions against undervaluing students, noting how negative experiences with peers and teachers can lead to lowered self-esteem, a phenomenon often overlooked in schools. She advocates for training future educators to understand bullying's complexity, emphasizing that it involves repeated harassment and victim invisibility and extends into adolescence and young adulthood.
Together, these efforts reveal a growing commitment in Spain to enhance mental health awareness and support systems in educational settings. The vademécum, designed as a living document with educator feedback via QR code, aims to be an evolving tool that adapts to the needs of teachers and students alike, paving the way for safer, more inclusive, and emotionally supportive classrooms.
This article was translated and synthesized from Spanish sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
