Why Inclusion Matters for Mental Health – Jennifer Oaten
Most of us know what it feels like to be left out.
Perhaps you were not invited to a social gathering, or someone made assumptions about what you could or could not do, or you felt invisible in a room full of people. These moments stay with us because not being included hurts.
Someone recently shared with me an infographic from Diversity Council Australia called “Mapping the State of Inclusion and Mental Health in the Australian Workforce“. While it focuses on workplaces, the findings speak directly to what we see in schools every day.
The data is striking. Workers who are regularly ignored are three times more likely to report poor mental health. Those without access to the same opportunities as their colleagues are two and a half times more likely to struggle with their wellbeing. Being left out of social gatherings, having others make incorrect assumptions about your abilities, being ignored, not having the same opportunities, these everyday moments of exclusion take a real toll.
So how does this relate to our students? Teenagers notice everything. They know who sits alone at lunch, who gets invited to birthday parties, who gets chosen for leadership roles. When they are the ones on the outside, they feel it deeply. This is why we work hard to build connection through our House system, our co-curricular groups and our pastoral care programs.
When Inclusion Works
The infographic showed something powerful. In genuinely inclusive teams, workers were seven times more likely to say their workplace positively impacted their mental health. In these teams, 75% of people felt safe and supported, even when struggling with poor mental health. In non-inclusive teams, only 10% felt this way.
This is why our Mercy Values matter so much. Hospitality, Compassion, Justice, Service, and Excellence are not just words on our walls. They shape how we treat each other. When students feel they genuinely belong at Santa Maria, when their House community supports them, when they see difference celebrated, their wellbeing improves.
Our House system exists partly for this reason. When Year 7 students arrive, they immediately belong somewhere. They have older students looking out for them. They have a community that sees them. This matters.
The Quiet Moments That Count
Exclusion is not always dramatic. Often it is quiet and unintentional. A group of friends makes plans and genuinely forget to include someone. A teacher unconsciously calls on the same confident students. Students don’t realise the new student who has joined them is not sure where they sit at lunch.
These small moments accumulate. They shape how students see themselves and whether they believe they belong.
Our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy addresses exactly this. We are training staff to notice patterns of exclusion. We are creating lunchtime groups where students can connect. We are making classroom adjustments so every learner can succeed. We are teaching students to be aware of their own behaviour and its impact on others. However, teenage behaviour is not always considered and may be impulsive, which does not help.
Talking About Mental Health
Another finding from the research stayed with me. Of workers with poor mental health, 42% never discussed it with anyone at work. They stayed silent because they did not feel safe.
But those who did talk about their struggles were twice as likely to report better outcomes. Being heard mattered that much.
We have psychologists, pastoral care teams, deans, and teachers ready to listen. Our Mental Health Strategy creates multiple entry points for support. But students will only reach out if they trust the response. That trust builds through culture. When students see their peers ask for help and be supported, when inclusion and mental health is treated as part of the change and challenges of life rather than a crisis, young people learn it is safe to speak up.
If your daughter is struggling, we encourage her to talk to someone. The support is here.
Leaders Create Culture
The research found that senior leaders were twice as likely to discuss their mental health compared to entry-level staff. When leaders speak openly, everyone else feels permission to do the same.
Our Year 12 students carry this responsibility. When they are inclusive, when they acknowledge their own challenges, when they look out for younger students, they set the tone for the whole school. Teachers and parents do this too. When we can say “I found that difficult” or “I needed help with that”, we teach young people that struggling to fit in is human, not shameful.
What We Can All Do
Building inclusion and supporting mental health requires all of us.
Students: Notice who might be on the outside. Invite someone new to sit with you. Speak up when you see mean body language, behaviour or exclusion. Show kindness toward people who are different. Choose language carefully both in person and online. Talk about your mental health when you need support.
Staff: Provide programs that help students understand differences, the impact of their behaviour on others and how exclusion can have lasting effects. Create opportunities for connection across friend groups and year levels enabling students to find their tribe and to feel valued and included in our community.
Parents: Model kindness toward people who are different. Ask your daughter who she sat with at lunch, not just how her test went. If she is feeling lonely talk about ways she can connect with others and ways to seek help from a trusted staff member. Encourage her to seek support when needed.
Our Mercy Values are a great starting point for these conversations
Building Something Better
We cannot eliminate every moment of exclusion. People naturally connect with some personalities more than others. But we can create a community where exclusion is noticed rather than ignored, where kindness is expected and where every student knows she matters.
The data confirms what we see every day. Inclusion supports mental health. At Santa Maria, this work happens in our classrooms, in our House activities, in our pastoral care programs, and in the small daily choices we all make.
Every student deserves to feel safe, supported, and able to thrive. Let us keep building that connected community together.
- Building school community, Diversity and inclusion strategy, Featured, Inclusion in schools, Mental health support in schools, Mercy values in education, Santa Maria College values, School pastoral care, Student mental health, Teen belonging and resilience, Wellbeing in girls’ education
Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
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