The purpose of this study is to clarify how experienced yogo teachers interpret signs of children with mental health problems and how they provide protective care diagnosis and countermeasures.
Interviews about support for children with mental health problems were conducted with four yogo teachers who had worked in elementary schools for at least ten years. A word-for-word record of the interviews was compiled and analysis of the revised version using the grounded theory approach extracted 62 concepts and 20 categories. Experienced yogo teachers foresaw children's problems at an early stage and collected information by various means. By sorting and integrating information and defining problems, support plans could be designed and countermeasures and coordination set up. Furthermore, it was suggested that yogo teachers provide protective care diagnosis for mental health problems from an educational perspective as teaching professionals who are members of the school organization and from a physiological and clinical psychological perspective as experts with specialized knowledge and skills.