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Much like the TAs in Groom and Rose (2005) and a participant in Littlecott et al. (2018), the TAs in this research recognised that a pupil’s background will impact their behaviour and presentation. All seven participants emphasised the influence of homelife on children’s mental health; discussing factors such as divorce, changes to family structure (e.g. new siblings), and financial difficulties. Similarly, these factors were emphasised by staff in Burton and Goodman’s (2011) research. In this research participants also mentioned bereavement; and divorce was particularly emphasised as negatively impacting children’s mental health.

For some participants, blame was attributed to parents; this is consistent with other research (Broomhead, 2013). Wood (2018) discussed the prejudice from school staff that family culture poorly influences children. He suggested that parents were being blamed for children’s lack of skills as the families had different values to the school. This was somewhat echoed in this research, particularly by Joanne who said:

…because of where they have come from, most probably the parents don't speak to them and ask them questions. (Joanne)

As Wood (2018) suggests, this quote highlights that an awareness of difference in culture can encourage an othering of families; seeing them as different or difficult to understand (Paechter, 1998). If school staff believe that a family’s culture is to blame for a child’s mental health difficulties, this would likely influence how they interacted with the child and the

parents which could have negative implications for their ability to support this child. As Wood emphasises, acculturation2 _{has a negative impact on learning outcomes and identity}

formation (Wright, 2010).

2 _{Acculturation is defined as ‘cultural modification of an individual, group, or people by adapting to or}

5.2.2.2 Technology

Another factor seen to contribute to poor mental health was technology. This

included inappropriate video games, the use of social media, and time spent on technology. Research seems to suggest that technology use can negatively impact children’s mental health; for instance, screen time has been negatively correlated with young children’s development (Madigan et al., 2019) and found to have a negative impact on children and adolescent’s wellbeing and mental health (Twenge & Campbell, 2018). However, The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2018) suggest that moderate internet use is best; describing that CAYP who spend 1-2 hours per day online have better life satisfaction than children who both rarely use the internet and those who use it

excessively. The participants in this research may have been focussing on children who appeared to use the internet excessively; TAs may benefit from an increased awareness of the benefits of moderate internet use, so that it is not seen as all bad.

5.2.2.3 School

Some TAs considered how schoolwork pressures can negatively influence children’s mental health (e.g. Karen – ‘…she wanted to do well, and I think obviously that made her anxiety worse’). Additionally, the impact of school staff and children was mentioned (Tina - ‘there's something troubling them, whether it be… I don’t know, the amount of work, whether it’s the adult in the classroom, whether it’s children in the classroom’).These suggestions indicated a somewhat linear understanding of how a bad experience at school (i.e. school pressures or poor relationships with staff) can negatively impact a child’s mental health. Pianta (2011) emphasised that relationships in schools are ‘reciprocal and bidirectional’ (p.689) and are based on multiple components (e.g. staff beliefs) and levels (e.g. individual and group). He writes that in “multilevel, dynamic, active systems such as schools or classrooms, it is fiction to conceptualize ‘cause’ or ‘source’ of interactions and activity” (p.689).

From the TAs’ perceived reasons for children’s poor mental health, it highlights that there was minimal consideration of the complexity in the system (e.g. how staff or children impact the system and how the system impacts the children). This may indicate that some participants may benefit from discussions about how the complexity of the school system, and relationships within the school environment, can impact mental health.

5.2.3 The Source of TAs’ Knowledge 5.2.3.1 Experience

Experience was seen as the most helpful factor for TAs to support children’s mental health. This included experience in their TA role, experience of being a mother, and their own personal experiences. Having previous successes as a TA seemed to reassure some participants that they were helping children in an appropriate way; for instance, when asked what had given her confidence, Shivani stated that it was:

The experience as and when, I know, I'm dealing with the issues. I now kind of know what to say to them. (Shivani)

Furthermore, being a mother was seen by participants to have developed their skills and understanding of children. Other research also suggests that TAs’ experiences as mothers facilitates their role (Cockroft & Atkinson, 2015).

As well as their experiences as a TA and a mother, some participants felt that knowing someone with mental health difficulties, or suffering from mental health difficulties themselves, enabled them to better support children’s mental health. Karen shared an idea that the amount of knowledge that a TA had was based on luck.

…but I think I'm lucky in that respect. There might be somebody who hasn't worked here very long, and who doesn't really know a lot about mental health, and maybe wouldn't deal with the situation very well. (Karen)

This overreliance on experience to effectively support children’s mental health could warrant further investigation. It suggests that it could be left up to chance whether there are school staff who feel equipped or able to support children with mental health difficulties. Indeed, the

participants in this research volunteered to be involved and many expressed having an interest in mental health; this may mean that they were more knowledgeable about mental health difficulties and more confident supporting children than other TAs. TAs with little or no interest in, or knowledge of, mental health may feel differently about how difficulties present in children and their role in supporting it. Similarly, the notion that the quality of support that children receive is left up to chance was shared by Shearman who wrote that ‘it is a lottery whether a child with EBD gets an LSA whose skills are appropriate for their task’ (2003, p.63).

5.2.3.2 Desire for Knowledge

The participants wanted more knowledge about mental health; they suggested this could be achieved through training and felt that others they worked with also needed this. The TAs interviewed had not received any training on mental health in their TA role, unless they had a specific responsibility for mental health in the school. The participants expressed a desire for reassurance that they were doing things correctly and more guidance about what to do. Tina, who had been on MHFA training, suggested that training needed to be delivered by mental health professionals and that it could only help to a certain extent.

In other research, consultation and supervision from EPs was offered to TAs who were completing interventions (e.g. Burton, 2008; Kendal et al., 2011). The possibility of supervision groups or consultation from external professionals was not mentioned by the participants in this research (perhaps due to lack of awareness of these forms of support), however, this could be another avenue for support and for increasing knowledge. The potential benefit of this type of support was evident in some of the participants’ comments. One participant (Karen) remarked that she had found talking about her experiences in the interview helpful. Additionally, another participant (Joanne) developed her understanding of ‘mental health’ through talking to the researcher about her experiences. It would be useful for EPs and other external professionals to offer this type of support (e.g. through individual or group supervision) to TAs in their everyday work more regularly.

Adult learning theory suggests that adult learners have a broad range of life

experiences that provide a resource for learning (Knowles, 1980). This may link to why TAs, who had received training, still found their experiences very helpful. Additionally, Knowles suggested that adult learners particularly value practical application of knowledge. Support from EPs may helpfully include both of these elements; it could build on the experiences that the TAs have and allow practical application of new knowledge.