“The journey from child to adult can be

complex and challenging. Young

people often feel tremendous pressure

to succeed at school, at home and in

social groups. At the same time, they

may lack the life experience that lets

them know that difficult situations will not

last forever.” (CMHA, 2014)

Mental health generally refers to the way a person thinks, feels, deals with daily living and copes with life events and stressors.

It can fluctuate throughout our lives and is strongly associated with one’s ability to function and enjoy life (Health Literacy Team, 2014)

Good mental health would indicate the ability to handle stress and life events in healthy manner without (or with minimal) impact on daily functioning (i.e. still able to manage responsibilities and ADLs)

Poor mental health is indicated by more significant impairment in daily life such as with school, family relationships and social activities(Health Literacy Team, 2014)

Positive mental health has been

described as “the capacity of each and

all of us to feel, think, and act in ways

that enhance our ability to enjoy life and deal with the challenges we face. It is a

positive sense of emotional and spiritual

wellbeing that respects the importance

of culture, equity, social justice,

interconnections and personal dignity” (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2006 as cited by Morrison & Peterson, 2013).

social-emotional learning (the way that children and youth learn and develop their attitudes and ability to manage their emotions, set goals, maintain positive relationships and deal with interpersonal challenges effectively);

positive youth development (strength-based approach focused on building confidence, character, connectedness, competence and inclusion geared towards all youth, not just those who are currently “unwell” or “at-risk”);

resiliency (ability to adapt and handle challenges and changes);

focus on protective factors (community connectedness and family support)

(Morrison & Peterson, 2013)

Positive mental health strategies are thus

linked with mental health promotion

because it:

› helps improve youths’ self-esteems and ability to

cope with daily life

› educates youth about barriers to positive mental

health and well-being

› empowers youth with self-help strategies to set

them up for success

› addresses the present needs of the youth in BC

schools

› build’s emotional resiliency and improves

overall well-being and functioning

Prevents the progression of mental

health challenges from becoming more

serious (i.e. lead to suicide) or

developing into adult mental health

problems

Reduces the time it takes to recover from

emotional crisis (Health Literacy Team, 2014, p. 6).

50% of all “lifetime cases of mental health disorders” emerge by the age of 14

1 in 5 children in BC is currently experiencing mental health issues serious enough to reduce their overall ability to function on a daily basis in school, at home, in the community (Health Literacy

Team, 2014, p. 6)

Evidence has indicated that school-based positive mental health strategies have been effective for preventing and treating internalizing disorders (mood disorders) and externalizing disorders (aggression, conduct)

(SBMHSA, 2013)

Suicide is the second leading cause of

death among youth ages 10-24 in

Canada (294 deaths on average per

year).

Inability to cope and ongoing emotional

distress are risk factors associated with

suicide (CMHA, 2014)

“youth don’t think

about suicide”

One survey involving 15,000 high

school students in BC found that

16% had seriously considered

suicide and 34% knew someone

who had attempted suicide or died

by suicide

“Talking about suicide will

make a person more likely

to attempt it”

Talking about suicide reduces

the stigma and fear associated

with suicidal thoughts and can

provide relief to the person

feeling suicidal.

“suicide is unexpected

and unavoidable

because the person is

determined to die”

Suicide is most often a process

resulting from multiple factors or

ongoing issues. Learning coping

strategies to manage one’s

feelings during stressful times

reduces risk of suicide at present

and in the future.

Research has shown that most children will not receive or access services to help with their mental health difficulties due to:

› social stigma (afraid someone would see them)

› difficulties with accessing resources or not knowing where to go

› availability of resources

› didn’t want their parents to know (SBMHSA Consortium, 2013).

Children are in school for a substantial

portion of their day; therefore by having

mental health services and positive

mental health strategies implemented

within the school these barriers may be

decreased.

Furthermore....

Having these programs and strategies in

the schools creates an opportunity for all

students to engage in positive mental health practices, not only those

identified as having a mental health

problem or those deemed “at risk” of

having a mental health problem (Rowling, 2012 as

cited by SBMHSA Consortium, p. 5).

This way all youth benefit from learning

about positive mental health Acts as prevention and intervention for all youth

*Based on a survey of over 29,000 BC public school students in grades 7-12 * (McCreary Centre

Society, 2011)

Stress, anxiety and despair: 84% indicated experiencing some stress or pressure in the past month. 14% reported their stress was so severe they were unable to work or function properly

Self-harm: 22% of females and 12% of males indicated that they had harmed themselves on purpose or had engaged in cutting.

Body image: 1 in 5 females

and 1 in 10 males reported

on the survey that they

were dissatisfied with their

body image

Behaviours associated with these feelings that were indicated by survey respondents were :› Binge-eating

› Purging

› dieting

*In summary, positive mental health

strategies have resulted in “healthy and

enhanced physical and emotional developmental outcomes” such as:

› healthy and effective management of emotions

› enhanced ability to cope with changes and

development of problem-solving skills

› reduced high risk behaviours

› increased acceptance of others and

development of meaningful relationships

› increased confidence and academic

achievement and engagement (Morrison & Peterson,

2013)

Each school has different needs, strengths,

and limitations; therefore school-specific

strategies should be implemented based

on population need and environmental

support. Other strategies are...

requires a “whole school approach” that addresses

4 areas:

teaching and learning:

› use of cooperative learning to enhance

interpersonal skills and relationship building;

› having teachers take an autonomy-supportive

approach to teaching to build problem-solving

skills and independence;

› focusing and highlighting students’ strengths

instead of weaknesses to build self-esteem and

confidence.

emotional safety:

› learning students’ names,

› treat students with respect,

› responding to any form of bullying or harassment

school policy:

› ensuring rights of students are upheld and supported

› make mental health education a mandatory part of the curriculum.

partnership and services:

› building support networks with other students and teachers

› create a sense of connectedness within the school and community and families (Morrison & Peterson, 2013)

School-based cognitive and behavioural programs specifically designed to address depression, anxiety, aggression and anger management have proven to be effective in reducing those symptoms.

Examples are:› identifying automatic thoughts and how they

connect with feelings and behaviour

› costs – benefits analysis, challenging negative thoughts and beliefs (“What if …exercises)

› positive reinforcement

› relaxation techniques (meditation, guided imagery)

(SBMHSA, 2013)

Give youth an opportunity to express

and release stress (exercise, art, teaching

relaxation techniques)

Encourage and provide peer supports and/or mentorship programs for those struggling with gender identity, suicide, substance abuse or any other issue.

Listen to and respect youth’s feelings. Encourage them to use their voice and take their concerns seriously.

Promote diversity: provide activities or classes that have more of a diverse population (different cultures, genders, social groups) and teach about different cultures.

(McCreary Centre Society, 2011)

Educating youth and

giving them the opportunity,

support and skills necessary

to succeed and cope with

the transition into

adulthood promotes positive mental

health in the present and in

the future.

Children are our future so we need to

invest in their chances of success now!!

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). (2014). Reflections on youth

suicide. Retrieved from

http://www.canadiancrc.com/Youth_Suicide_in_Canada.aspx

Health Literacy Team. (2014). Stop wondering, start knowing: A mental health

school video resource. Retrieved from

http://keltymentalhealth.ca/sites/default/files/mindcheck-guide-for-

online_oct2014_1.pdf

McCreary Centre Society (2011). Making the right connections: Promoting positive

mental health among BC youth. Vancouver, BC: McCreary Centre Society.

Retrieved from http://www.mcs.bc.ca/pdf/making_the_right_connections.pdf

Morrison, W., & Peterson, P. (2013). Schools as a setting for promoting positive

mental health: Better practices and perspectives (2nd 3d.). Retrieved from

http://www.jcsh-cces.ca/upload/JCSH%20Best%20Practice_Eng_Jan21.pdf

School-Based Mental Health and Substance Abuse (SBMHSA) Consortium. (2013).

School-based mental health in Canada: A final report. Retrieved from

http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/system/files/private/document/C

hildYouth_School_Based_Mental_Health_Canada_Final_Report_ENG.pdf

1.Was the presenter:

Strongly Disagree Somewhat Agree Strongly

disagree agree

Professional? □ □ □ □ □

Able to answer □ □ □ □ □

questions?

Engaging? □ □ □ □ □

2. Was the information presented relevant to your school/classroom?

□ Strongly disagree

□ Disagree

□ Somewhat

□ Agree

□ Strongly agree

Comments:

3. How important do you feel mental health promotion is?

□ No importance at all

□ Minimal importance

□ Unsure

□ Important

□ Very important

4. How would you rate your students’ mental health?

□ Very unhealthy (unable to function/cope)

□ Unhealthy (disturbing in functioning)

□ Moderate (slight disturbances)

□ Healthy (ability to cope and function)

□ Very healthy (zero concerns and excellent coping and regulating skills)

Comments:

5. How do you feel this presentation could have been improved?

6. Would you recommend this presentation to another school or agency?

□ Yes

□ No

7. Please provide any additional comments or suggestions: