Mental Health
WE can make a difference...
What is Mental Health?
Mental Health refers to the maintenance of positive and successful mental activity.
This includes maintaining productive daily activities and maintaining fulfilling positive relationships with others.
It also includes the successful ability to adapt to change and to cope with stresses.
Why mental health needs to be addressed in schools
"Schools provide a critical context for shaping children’s self esteem, self efficacy and sense of control over their lives. "
(Stuart, Sun, Patterson and Hardie, 2004)
There is a definite link between emotional well-being and academic achievement, thus schools play an essential role in promoting positive mental health.
Educators can work to promote positive mental health within the school by providing education to students in order to increase protective factors, decrease risk factors, increasing resiliency and decreasing inequities.
FACTS about child mental health
• Approximately one in five children have a mental health problem (Waddell et al., 2002).
• Mental health problems can seriously impair children’s ability to be successful at school and in their relationships with their peers.
• These children are not bad kids, nor are their parents bad parents.
• Mental health problems are treatable.
Promoting Positive mental Health in Schools
- Offer a wide range of opportunities for students to learn, practice and promote positive and healthy behaviours.
- Provide direct instruction for students on skills and strategies that enhance their problem solving abilities.
- Provide caring social and physical environments to support learning and cognitive, emotional, social and physical development of students.
- Providing physical activity equipment for students to use outdoors
- Involve students in designating a quiet place to practice stress management techniques
Educating Students on Mental Health
- Create a resource section in the library on positive mental health promotion and on mental illness. Include support services.
- Display relevant resources from community service providers for students and families.
- Offer newsletters and pamphlets on mental health to raise awareness among your school community.
- Invite guest speakers
- Role Play pro-active scenarios
Resources for Parents, Youth and Educators
- Teen Mental Health – Contains information and resources for educators relating to school mental health, school curriculum, art and the mind and the body and the mind.
- Mind Your Mind – Website for youth and young adults about mental health
- kidsmentalhealth.ca- recources for children, parents and families.
- http://www.scdsb.edu.on.ca/staff/wellness/ht_schoolstress.pdf- pamphlet offering stress management strategies for the family
·