In August 2024, the Humana Foundation awarded Indiana University (IU) a $300,000 grant to fund a crucial study focused on improving emotional connectedness between teachers and students in K-12 schools. The study, which will primarily target marginalized communities, aims to explore and address suicide prevention in schools, particularly for students who often do not have equitable access to mental health resources.
A Focus on Marginalized Communities
The study is led by Anna Mueller, a sociology professor at IU and an expert in youth suicide prevention. Mueller highlighted the importance of addressing the mental health needs of students from marginalized groups—such as LGBTQ+ students, language minority students, and those from rural areas. She explained that these students often face significant barriers to receiving adequate suicide prevention care, which directly impacts their emotional connectedness with teachers.
“Emotional connectedness refers to the bond between students and teachers,” Mueller said. “When this connection is weak, students may feel they cannot open up about sensitive issues like suicide.” This emotional distance, she noted, exacerbates disparities in mental health support, leaving certain groups underserved by current school-based prevention strategies.
Addressing the Gaps in Mental Health Support
Mueller’s work on youth suicide prevention in Colorado led her to recognize these underserved populations as critical areas of focus for her research. “Those three populations just emerged as incredibly important, and they emerged as groups who were not being fully served by existing mental health support strategies in school,” she explained.
The study will examine how schools can foster stronger emotional connections between teachers and students, which is vital for improving mental health outcomes and creating a safe environment where students feel comfortable seeking help.
Collaborative Research for Broader Impact
IU’s team is also collaborating with Natasha Chaku, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences, whose expertise in mental health will complement Mueller’s work. The collaboration is unique because it combines different research models to offer a more comprehensive understanding of the problem. Chaku and Mueller will focus on variables like how often students reach out for help and how emotionally connected teachers are to these students, which are key factors in suicide prevention.
“Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents and young people between the ages of 10 to 25,” said Chaku. “So, it’s a leading public health concern, and a big problem requires big teams.” By examining both the emotional connection between teachers and students and the frequency of student help-seeking behavior, the research will offer valuable insights for suicide prevention efforts.
Long-Term Goals and Funding Support
The Humana Foundation’s grant will fund the initial phase of the study, which spans 18 months. This early funding will be crucial for gathering data and building a strong case for ongoing support, including a potential National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to continue the research after the Humana grant ends. The team hopes their findings will not only benefit students in Bloomington but also offer a model that can be adopted by schools nationwide.
“The research findings are expected to benefit broader communities where high school students are living, but I hope this research will also positively impact students in Bloomington as well by enhancing suicide prevention,” said Soojin Conover, the portfolio strategy principal for Humana’s research grant division.
A New Approach to Suicide Prevention
The Humana Foundation has been supporting community health initiatives for 43 years, and in 2023, it launched its research grants program. Conover expressed excitement about the potential impact of the IU study, especially in addressing a pressing public health issue. “This research has important implications for improving suicide prevention strategies in schools and enhancing the overall well-being of students, particularly those who are most at risk,” she said.
As the study progresses, Mueller, Chaku, and their team hope their work will set a new standard for addressing emotional connectedness and suicide prevention in K-12 schools, providing a blueprint for other schools to follow in order to better support vulnerable students.
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