Learning Together –
Understand and respect othersMaintain confidentiality
Taking equality and diversity seriously Commitment to learning
Time out
Sessions Aims
• To give an overview of mental health, in the
context of risk and resilience factors within
school
• To build a living brain!
• To identify practical strategies for helping to
build resilience within school, and to help
children to overcome mental health distress
• To introduce further sessions on supporting
children and addressing mental health in school
Exercise
Talk to person sitting next to you and briefly describe a child who you know or who you believe is leading a
emotionally, mentally and healthy life.
What are the key characteristics of this child? Please display these as thoughts or behavior's on the sheet
provided.
Definition of Mental Health
Mental health is …having the capacities of:The ability to develop
psychologically, emotionally, intellectually and spirituallyThe ability to initiate, develop and sustain mutually satisfying
personal relationshipsThe ability to become aware of others and empathize with
themThe ability to use psychological distress as a developmental
process. HAS, 1995)
Another Definition of Mental Health
When looking at mental health we need to take into account emotional well-being; happiness; integrity & creativity; the capacity to cope with stress and
difficulty.Mental health, in effect refers to the capacity to live a full, productive life as well as the flexibility to deal with its ups and downs. In children and young
people it is especially about the capacity to learn, enjoy friendships, to meet
challenges, to develop talents and capabilities. (YoungMinds, 1996)
Young People’s View of Mental Health
The young people identified five main factors as contributing to mental health:
Having people to talk toPersonal achievement, andFeeling good about yourself
Pets, presents and having fun .Friends and family
were seen as making young people feel secure,supported and wanted and conversely as preventing feelings of isolation.
(Armstrong, Hill &Secker, 1998)
The Continuum
Mental Mental Mental Mental
health distress health illness
difficulty
Emotional Emotional social
Wellbeing and behavioural
difficulties
Classification of mental disorders
Emotional disordersphobias, anxiety states and
depression
Conduct disordersstealing, defiance, fire
setting, aggression, & anti social behaviour
Hyperkinetic disorders disturbance of activity and attention
Developmental disorders (general, pervasive or specific)
For example; learning disability, ASD, delay in acquiring
certain skills e.g. speech and language
Classification of mental disorders
Eating disorderspre-school eating
problems, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa
Habit disorders tics, sleeping problems, soiling
Post traumatic syndromesEffects of witnessing or experiencing
traumatic event(s) e.g. disaster or abuse
Somatic disorders chronic fatigue syndrome
Psychotic disorders schizophrenia, bi-polar
disorder, psychoses including drug induced psychoses
Prevalence
One child in five (around 20%) display a mental health problem. 10% of children have diagnosable disorder
Greater in the upper age groupLevel increasing over time (for some disorders)
Differences across ethnic groupsDifferences between family typesVariations with household income
Prevalence of any mental disorder by age and sex
Prevalence of emotional disorders by age and sex
Prevalence of conduct disorders by age and sex
Prevalence of hyperkinetic disorders by age and sex
Prevalence of any mental disorder by gross weekly household income
Build a Living Brain
• This activity is great for demonstrating to children and young people how their brains function at times of stress
• It’s a powerful reminder that they can take ownership of their brain power and they can learn adaptive ways of responding to fight or flight situations
Risk Factors in the Family
• Overt parental conflict
• Family breakdown
• Inconsistent or unclear discipline
• Hostile or rejecting relationships
• Failure to adapt to a child’s changing needs
• Physical, sexual or emotional abuse
• Parental psychiatric illness
• Parental criminality,
• Alcoholism or personality disorder
• Death and loss – including loss of friendship
Risk and Resilience Factors
• Risk factors can occur within the community – including the school, the family and the child, and decrease a child’s life chances
• Resilience factors can occur within the community including the school, the family and the child, and increase a child’s life chances
Risk Factors in the Child
• Specific learning difficulties
• Communication difficulties
• Specific development delay
• Difficult temperament
• Physical illness especially if chronic and or
• neurological
• Academic failure
• Low self-esteem
• Peer relationship problem
Risk Factors in the Community
• Social-economic
• Disadvantage
• Housing problems
• Disaster
• Discrimination
• Other significant life events
• Neighborhood conflict
• Deviant peer group
Resilience Factors in the Child• Secure early relationships
• Being female
• Good intellectual ability
• Easy temperament when an infant
• Positive attitude, problem solving approach
• Good communications skills
• Planner, belief in control
• Humour
• Religious faith
• Capacity to reflect
• High self-esteem & self confidence
• Positive social influence including close peer relationships
Resilience Factors: in the
Community
• Wider supportive network
• Good housing
• High standards of living
• High morale school with positive policies for behaviour, attitudes and anti-bullying
• Schools with strong academic and non-academic opportunities
• Range of positive sport/ leisure activities
Resilience Factors: in the Family
• At least one close and affectionate parent-child
relationship
• Clear, firm and consistent discipline
• Support for education
• Supportive long term relationship/absence of
severe discord
The Resilience Rucksack
• This resilience rucksack contains symbols of
ordinary magic which represent schools as
therapeutic communities
Map
• The longest journey starts with a single step
• Help and model planning a day – it develops a cerebral response as it helps to work out where the dangers are and how to manage them
• It gives a sense of purpose
Trainers
• Exercise reduces cortisol
• It provides a channel for energy and an avenue
for success
• It can teach perseverance
• It can be great for building alliances with hard to
reach kids
Professor Dumbledore – the teacher
• Recent research shows that good teaching and
good learning is one of the powerful tools in
promoting mental health
• Do what you do well and the pupil benefits
Rope
• We need to link with others
• The need to belong is a fundamental human need
• Exclusion produces a sensation in the brain similar to that of physical pain
An anchor
• We need a secure base from which to explore the
world
• Vulnerable children need to know where they turn
to in times of crisis
• Where can kids feel safe in school?
A chill out CD
• We need to learn to relax
• It needs to be programmed into our brains as well as our hectic lives
• For those with heightened sense of danger they need explicit exercises to teach self regulation and self calming
• You can’t change children’s lives but you can
help them to cope with the life they have
Snakes and ladders- going
down……..
• In groups identify some of the factors within your
school which may contribute to a downward
spiral. These could relate to your own wellbeing
as well as that of the pupils – it could relate to
institutional practice
Snakes and Ladders – going up……..
• In groups, identify some of the factors within
your school and within your dealings with young
people which promote resilience
What helps - Anxiety
Prevention - A number of causes of general anxiety in childhood can be prevented by sensible handling
For illogical fears that are not quite phobias, simple explanations and reassurance will help many children gradually get over them
Detailed interview with child and familyLook to other agencies for interventions eg Educational Psychologists or
Education Socal Workers if anxiety is about school, social workers if about home life
What helps - Anxiety
Talking to or helping children and parents to understand how the problem has developed
Specific fears are usually treated by helping children confront their fear in a way and at a pace that they can manage eg carefully planning a gradual return to
school if the anxiety is school basedTeaching relaxation
Help children talk through their anxieties using drawing or play
What helps - Depression
About 10% of children and young people with depression recover spontaneously within 3 months
Be able to determine, recognise and assess those with depressionEnsure timely information is available on the nature, cause and treatment in all
local languages (NICE, 2005)
Ask sympathetically how they are and listen to the responseEncourage them to remain active
Praise all efforts(Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1999; YoungMinds)
What helps - Hyperactivity
Learn about hyperactivity and what it meansGive structure and encourage regular routine
Give clear instructions, sufficient time to complete tasksProvide a variety of physical activity
Reward any achievements(HASCAS, 2004)
What helps – conduct disorder
All approaches are grounded in respect for the childEmpathy, attention and involvement, play, problem-solving, listening, talking.
Praise any achievements and reward themEncouragement
Clear limits and consistent rules with consistent follow-throughIgnore negative behavior, distract from negative behavior (positive verbal
redirection) and use re-engagement strategiesRemind of expected behavior and warn of consequences
Use consequences
What else helps children’s and young people’s mental health?
Adults being self-awareFeeling helpless/angry/rejected
Learn from your experiencesRespect their view even if an alternative adult view is presented
UnderstandingThem
Their peer groupTheir developmental stage/age
Their life circumstances
What else helps children’s and young people’s mental health?
ListeningActively
Open questionsWarmth and empathy
Take account of cultural issuesNever promise to keep a secret
Child protection proceduresEmotional language
What else helps children’s and young people’s mental health?
BoundariesKnowing what they can and can’t do
Be consistent Expect challenge
Skill DevelopmentEnabling children and young people to improve their mastery of stressful situations
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