What do we want for the children in our schools? Usually, when I ask this question, teachers say confident, happy children, who feel secure and have resilience - things that are highly dependent on children’s mental health.
Mental health influences how we think and feel about ourselves and others, and how we interpret events. It also affects our capacity to learn, to communicate and to form, sustain and end relationships, not to mention our ability to cope with change and life events. Being in the right mental place to learn is, of course, also a major factor in students’ attainment.
If a child’s mental health is poor, how are they to develop emotionally, creatively, intellectually and spiritually? How can they play, have fun or develop an awareness of others? How can they initiate, develop and sustain mutually satisfying personal relationships? Yet, there is an increasing recognition that our children face ever more pronounced mental health difficulties, with depression and anxiety disorders often cited as common problems.
So, what can teachers do to help? Well, there are lots of things that can be done in school to develop resilience and optimism among all pupils. This - and it’s by no means a comprehensive list - might include: whole-school nurturing approaches; restorative approaches; peer mediation; circle time; solution-oriented approaches; developing emotional literacy in the curriculum; destigmatising mental health through open discussion in personal and social education; and ensuring all children have a link person within their school.
“But what about the child who has greater mental health needs?” teachers sometimes say. I would respond by asking what they would you do to help support a friend or colleague who was going through a difficult time. Alternatively, if you were going through hard times, what would you want someone to say or do for you?
Often there is no need for expensive professional interventions. Usually, however, the simple things that make a difference: asking someone how they are and listening to their story, not judging, exploring with them how they are feeling, perhaps offering reassurance and information while encouraging self-help strategies.
Why would a child need anything different? Maybe they need the same sorts of things, only with age-appropriate language? However, sometimes there may be the need to obtain some professional advice to help support either a child or the adults around a child. And educational psychology services (EPS) can often help with mental-health-related barriers to learning; in 2015, one-third of all referrals to EPS were related to mental health.
Ultimately, we are aiming for children who are in the right place to learn so that they can develop the skills needed for a fruitful life. Teachers play tremendously important roles - and sometimes just being there for them and listening can make a huge difference.
Dr Taryn Moir is a senior educational psychologist, at Inverclyde Educational Psychology Service
