Preventing mental health problems how schools can help With the reduction in the availability of support services, there is increasing concern about children s and young people s mental health. What can schools do to protect pupils who are at risk? Suzanne O Connell offers some suggestions. There can be stigma around the issue of mental health. It is often associated with mental health disorders, such as schizophrenia, dementia and depression, and people sometimes avoid talking about it. However, mental health problems take many different forms. A number of us have suffered in some way at some point in our lives. For example, stress, anxiety, behaviour problems and eating disorders are all mental health problems. Some people are more at risk than others. The environment that children and young people grow up in, as well as their own personality, can make them more vulnerable. Identifying those at risk, and developing and promoting protective factors and resilience in our schools can help our most susceptible young people. What are risk factors for pupils? Although every child is unique, there are specific characteristics and environmental factors that tend to be present when children and young people suffer from some form of mental health problem. Risk factors include: parental conflict and family breakdown death and loss in the family inconsistent or unclear discipline lack of positive relationships and attachments direct forms of abuse parental psychiatric illness parental criminality, alcoholism, drug abuse or personality disorder socio-economic disadvantage discrimination including race, colour, faith, culture, disability, sexual orientation.
How can schools help? These risk factors are not necessarily under the school s control. However, there are ways in which the school can help to minimise the impact of these factors for their vulnerable pupils, such as: signposting parents to services providing family learning opportunities making direct and timely referrals for professional support Schools can also provide an alternative environment in which children can feel secure, develop positive relationships and develop feelings of self-worth. Through their ethos, the availability of key staff, relationships with external agencies and the curriculum, schools can be a very important source of support. Staff need to have a level of awareness of what is meant by mental health and how they might work with children experiencing problems. Information and training, such as that provided by YoungMinds in Schools, can be beneficial. An open line of communication Taking time to talk to young people, to answer their questions and keep them informed is vital. For example, where a child is acting in the capacity of a young carer, it is important that the school ensures that the pupil s needs are taken into consideration too. Young carers can often feel that information about their parent s illness is not shared with them, and can find it difficult to understand what s going on and how best they might help. The use of drama and story can be a particularly effective means of opening up discussion around difficult issues. Strategies such as therapeutic storywriting, which provide an opportunity for pupils to share the source of their anxieties in an unthreatening way, are ideal. What are protective factors for pupils? There are some protective factors which, when present, mean that a child or young person is less likely to develop mental health problems. Not all children growing up in high-risk environments develop difficulties. Some of the main protective factors include: having an outgoing temperament as an infant experiencing a secure attachment with at least one good parent/child relationship faith or spirituality a capacity to reflect
good communication skills and a level of sociability being prepared to plan, having problem-solving skills and displaying a positive attitude having experienced success and achievement. How can schools help? Again, schools can help to develop and promote some of these protective factors. For example, by ensuring that problem-solving skills and the opportunity to reflect and plan are all built into the curriculum and incorporated in approaches to teaching and learning. The opportunity to experience success and achievement is important on many levels. Most schools are aware of the need to ensure that pupils of all abilities and varying skills have an opportunity to demonstrate and celebrate their strengths. It is important that this is not neglected under the pressure of hitting targets and achieving results. Extended provision Factors in the family and wider environment increase resilience. A family where there is clear, consistent discipline and support for education is less likely to be one where mental health issues develop. Wide support networks, good housing and a high standard of living are all protective factors. These factors might be outside the school s and family s direct control, but aspects of extended provision and signposting to other services can provide facilities and support that other families perhaps take for granted. Extra-curricular activities Children and young people who are involved in a range of sports and leisure activities are less vulnerable than those who are not. Having these experiences increases the presence of other protective factors. For example, a child who takes part in a netball club might experience success and achievement, and might develop a good relationship with the teacher and mixed-age peers proxy benefits of a rich menu of extra-curricular activities. School ethos Perhaps most importantly, it has been shown that schools with positive behaviour policies, positive attitudes, and clear, proactive anti-bullying strategies increase the range of protective factors for vulnerable pupils. The environment created within school can help to provide a buffer against some of those risk factors that pupils are subject to elsewhere.
Advice to schools YoungMinds in Schools recommends a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing. Following the suggestions below will help to ensure that all pupils develop resilience and are less at risk. Their advice to schools includes: teachers taking care of their own wellbeing teaching about mental health in the PDMU / LLW curriculum ensuring that pupils and families can access information about where additional help is available, if they need it teaching about brain development in the biology curriculum encouraging a problem-solving approach across the curriculum encouraging discussion about feelings and behaviour developing links with the educational psychologist, with child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and with any counselling services that are available involving the support available from statutory services, and the voluntary and community sector looking for the positives and building on strengths when working with families in challenging circumstances staying curious about what is happening for a particular young person, rather than assuming that they know ask questions, keep records and test out ideas helping to build a culture where asking for help is a strength and not a weakness. Schools should provide time and people who are available and accessible for their pupils to talk to. Asking open questions about mood and feelings without pressure is important. Young people might not want to share their feelings at that particular time, but should know where (and to whom) they can go when they are ready. By providing an environment that promotes protective factors and raises awareness of risk, schools can help to address the increasing mental health needs of their pupils. Find out more The Centre for Therapeutic Storywriting promotes the use of therapeutic storywriting by educational professionals supporting pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties. YoungMinds in Schools is part of YoungMinds, a charity that for over 20 years has supported children and young people with mental health difficulties.
Author details Suzanne O'Connell Suzanne O'Connell has more than 25 years' teaching experience, 11 years of which were as a junior school headteacher. She has a particular interest in special needs, child protection and extended services.