I truly believe that wellbeing is one of the most important aspects of our lives, as individuals and as societies.
This week is Mental Health Awareness week! Promoting mental wellbeing uses the idea of ‘thriving’ or ‘flourishing’. A flourishing life is far more than ‘surviving’ and involves good relationships, autonomy, competence and a sense of purpose as well as feelings of happiness and satisfaction.
So how well are we feeling? When assessed in 2017, 1 in 8 (12.8%) of 5-19 year olds were reported as having at least 1 clinically diagnosable mental health disorder (NatCen and ONS November 2018). Statistically, one in four adults experiences at least one diagnosable mental health problem in any given year. In 2018 the ONS developed national measures of loneliness for all ages. The findings came from a sample of around 1,500 children aged 10 to 15 years. 45.4% of the children asked said they felt lonely “often” or “some of the time. Loneliness can be normal and transient, but physical, mental and social problems can arise when it becomes chronic. It has been found to have a profoundly negative effect on health at all ages and can be considered to be the “social equivalent of physical pain” (Hawkley and Cacioppo, 2010).
These are sobering statistics, highlighting the extent of the difficulties children, young people and adults are facing today. However, I believe we are moving into a period of change for the better. The national focus on mental health has significantly raised public awareness of mental health and has highlighted support and resources for children, young people and adults. School leaders nationwide are considering what more they can do in schools to support all children, young people and staff to feel well, to feel happy and to thrive. The Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health provision (Green paper 2018) sets out the intention to establish Mental Health Support Teams to work with schools; initially in trailblazer areas by the end of 2019. In Lincolnshire, through the Mobilise Emotional Health and Wellbeing project, services, agencies and mental health charities have come together to lend their expertise and to work with school leaders to really make a difference to the lives of children, young people and adults in schools.
It may seem like an enormous task to begin to address the issues of staff and children’s mental health in schools but it is hugely important. Some suggestions for starting points are:
- spend the majority of your time considering your whole-school approach – starting with a positive and universal approach to wellbeing.
- Consider evidence-based targeted interventions.
- Engage your whole-school community, genuinely valuing the voices of your pupils and families.
- Understand risk and resilience factors and aim to increase the resilience factors within your school. Prioritise high quality PHSE, RSE and Health Education within your school and keep relationships at the heart of everything that you do.
Bruce D. Perry (2017) writes: ‘the research on the most effective treatments to help child trauma victims is anything that increases the quality and number of relationships in the child’s life.’
I truly believe that wellbeing is one of the most important aspects of our lives, as individuals and as societies.