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Mental Health and Schools: Overview (EE)
This page contains the rough draft of a glossary term defining different aspects pf mental health. Visitors to this page are invited to comment on this draft using the "thread" tool found at the bottom of the page or to edit the text using the "EasyEdit" tool found at the top of the page. Please feel free to make comments and edits anonymously. If you sign up with the wetpaint platform (no charge, no spam) and then sign in to this wiki-based web site, your participation will be recognized. All previous versions of the text are automatically retained by this wiki-based platform, so don't worry about losing any text.
Defining Mental Health for this Encyclopedia
For the purposes of this encyclopedia and knowledge exchange program, we have combined some selected sources to define mental health, discuss the nature of child and adolescent mental health as well as the influence of the school physical and social environment and routines on mental health. These include:
Positive mental health is a state of successful performance of mental function, resulting in productive activities, fulfilling relationships with other people, and the ability to adapt to change and to cope with adversity. Mental health is indispensable to personal well-being, family and interpersonal relationships, and contribution to community or society. It is easy to overlook the value of mental health until problems surface.”
Positive mental health includes psychological, social and emotional well-being as described by Corey Keyes (2007). It is expressed as self-acceptance/social acceptance and positive affect, personal growth, self-actualization and life satisfaction. People with positive mental health feel that they have a purpose in life and that they are making a social contribution. They believe they can master complex environments, perceive coherence in the social environment, are autonomous, feel part of their communities and have positive relations with others.
Specific aspects in PMH include mindfulness, emotional intelligence, brain development, maturation/psychological and social development, critical thinking/self-control, spirituality, social skills, social attachment, physical behaviours and physical/built environments that contribute to PMH.
Mental health problems refer to signs and symptoms of insufficient intensity or duration to meet the criteria for any mental disorder. Almost everyone has experienced mental health problems in which the distress one feels matches some of the signs and symptoms of mental disorders. Mental health problems may warrant active efforts in health promotion, prevention, and treatment.”
The list of MH problems and related factors includes: difficulties in making the transition between levels of schooling (pre-school, elementary school, secondary school and post-secondary education/training/employment), nurturing resilience, living with parents or in families with mental illness, bereavement, stress/distress, social isolation, homelessness/transience, trauma from natural disasters, pandemics and conflicts and more.
Interactions between mental health and a variety of health, social and economic problems. While it is difficult to separate out cause-effect relationships we should not position MH as the panacea or root of all problems. Consequently, it is important to carve out the psychological aspects that can be addressed effectively and realistically through MH public policies and programs.
The list of interactions with other conditions, diseases and problems includes; intellectual, physical and learning disabilities, child abuse and neglect, child sexual abuse, unintentional pregnancy, bullying/aggression, addictions to substances (tobacco, alcohol, drugs, medications) as well as gambling, discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender, culture, race and language, cultural isolation, cultural oppression and others.
Mental illness is the term that refers collectively to all diagnosable mental disorders. Mental disorders are health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behaviour (or some combination thereof) associated with distress and/or impaired functioning. The category of mental illness refers to disorders diagnosed using one of the current systems of diagnostics such as DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) or ICD -10 (World Health Organization, 2007).
The list of mental illnesses that present during adolescence include compulsive behaviours, generalised anxiety, ADHD, FASD, autism, behaviour disorders, aggression, self-harm, suicide, overcoming stigma to access services and support and others.
Fundamentally, mental health is about the individual successfully adapting to her/his environment, by making changes in him/herself, by changes being made in their environment or in modifying the interactions between people and their environments.. Mental health does not mean absence of mental distress as distress can often be normal or expected and is often a signal that adaptation is needed. Mental health is dependent upon a healthy brain, a healthy body and a healthy environment. Mental health problems can be understood as difficulties in adaptation, either due to individual traits, undeveloped strengths or weaknesses that make it difficult for the individual to adapt, factors in the environment that make adaptation difficult, significant life experiences or incidents or a combination or interactions of the above. A mental disorder can be understood as a failure of adaptation, either due to factors within the individual (for example: genetics), factors unique to the environment (for example severe and ongoing trauma) or a combination thereof.
The Nature of Mental Health in Children & Adolescents
The mental health of children and youth can be conceptualized as a tapestry of inter-related threads that can be loosely grouped into four overlapping categories; positive mental health (e.g emotional health, mindfulness, critical thinking, attachments), problems caused by life experiences (e.g. bereavement, stress, divorce), interactions with other health or social problems (e.g. bullying, addictions, discrimination based on race or sexual orientation) and mental illness (e.g. depression, anxiety, suicide). Fundamentally, mental health is about the individual successfully adapting to her/his environment, by making changes in him/herself, by changes being made in their environment or in modifying the interactions between people and their environments.. Mental health does not mean absence of mental distress as distress can often be normal or expected and is often a signal that adaptation is needed. Mental health is dependent upon a healthy brain, a healthy body and a healthy environment. Mental health problems can be understood as difficulties in adaptation, either due to individual traits, undeveloped strengths or weaknesses that make it difficult for the individual to adapt, factors in the environment that make adaptation difficult, significant life experiences or incidents or a combination or interactions of the above. A mental disorder can be understood as a failure of adaptation, either due to factors within the individual (for example: genetics), factors unique to the environment (for example severe and ongoing trauma) or a combination thereof.
Social, economic and cultural factors will interact with the social norms of the local community, the practices of families and schools and the individual emotional, genetic, developmental and intellectual characteristics of students to influence mental health. Mental health is interwoven with several other health and social issues affecting young people. Psychological health and well-being is also an independent feature of the child and is comprised of several aspects of the mind. The mental health of children can be more vulnerable during transitions into primary school, between primary and secondary school, into a new neighbourhood, between secondary school and post-secondary studies or work. Such stress, or stress caused by other life events, may cause the onset of a previously latent or manageable mental illness. One of the major complicating factors in preventing or managing mental health problems or illnesses is that social stigma discourages people from seeking medical help or other forms of support.
Several well-recognized theories have been developed to explain the nature of child/youth mental health as well as approaches, programs and other interventions that can promote positive mental health, prevent mental health problems or alleviate/reduce the impact of mental illnesses. These include:
Mental disorders in young people contribute the most significant proportion to the burden of illness in this group. About 70% of mental disorders onset during childhood and adolescence. About one in five young people will experience a mental disorder requiring professional help. Many more young people will demonstrate significant mental health problems that may require interventions. In Canada it is estimated that one in six young people who require care do not receive it in a timely manner. Although suicide rates among young people have been decreasing over the last decade, suicide still remains a leading cause of death in this age group.
The Influence of the School Physical and Social Environment, Organization and Routines on Mental Health
The influence of the school on child and adolescent mental health can be examined in four areas, the social environment of the school, the physical environment of the school, the impact of school processes and routines and the impact of school-related transitions on the child's development. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the social attachments formed during the school day, with peers, teachers, mentors, coaches and others as well as the overall ethos of the school can have a significant impact on the mental health of its students. Similarly, the physical attributes of school buildings, facilities and grounds can have an impact through the provision of natural light,greenery and other factors. School organization, through practices such as middle and senior high schools, the use of teacher advisers and "home rooms" in large schools, and student recognition, reward and promotion/retention practices will have an impact as early as grade one. Finally, the critical transitions between pre-school and regular school, into high school, out of high school into further studies or work and even between schools after family moves can result in students feeling excluded, lonely or stressed.
School-based and School-Linked Actions to Promote Mental Health
Schools acting with the direction and support of government ministries, school boards and working collaboratively with other agencies and professionals as well as parents and young people, can make a substantial contribution to enhancing the mental health of youth. This may include but not be limited to the following: developing mental health awareness, knowledge, skills and beliefs among students, educators and parents; creating supportive social and physical school environments; helping to deliver programs that can assist in the identification, triage and referral of young people at risk of mental disorder; providing "on site" services to address mental health problems; providing on-going liaison with health care providers to meet the needs of youth receiving care for mental disorders; promoting staff wellness and more.
These actions can be grouped and coordinated within comprehensive approaches, coordinated agency-school programs and whole school strategies which have been defined as "school mental health" frameworks, plans and programs (SMIP's). Similar and related SMIP's have been developed to promote social & emotional learning, caring school communities, inclusive schools and child friendly schools.
Mental Health and Schools: Overview
Rough Draft posted November 3, 2010
Writer: Doug McCall, International School Health Network
Writer: Doug McCall, International School Health Network
Defining Mental Health for this Encyclopedia
For the purposes of this encyclopedia and knowledge exchange program, we have combined some selected sources to define mental health, discuss the nature of child and adolescent mental health as well as the influence of the school physical and social environment and routines on mental health. These include:
- a definition of positive mental health as defined in documents published by the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Institute for Health Information
- the continuum of mental health, mental health problems and mental illness used in the US Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health (1999)
- a web-based dialogue among several national Canadian organizations concerned with mental health, children & youth and schools
- positive mental health (e.g emotional health, mindfulness, critical thinking, attachments),
- mental health problems caused by life experiences (e.g. bereavement, stress, divorce),
- interactions or intersections with other health or social problems (e.g. bullying, addictions, discrimination based on race or sexual orientation) and
- mental illness (e.g. depression, anxiety, suicide).
Positive mental health is a state of successful performance of mental function, resulting in productive activities, fulfilling relationships with other people, and the ability to adapt to change and to cope with adversity. Mental health is indispensable to personal well-being, family and interpersonal relationships, and contribution to community or society. It is easy to overlook the value of mental health until problems surface.”
Positive mental health includes psychological, social and emotional well-being as described by Corey Keyes (2007). It is expressed as self-acceptance/social acceptance and positive affect, personal growth, self-actualization and life satisfaction. People with positive mental health feel that they have a purpose in life and that they are making a social contribution. They believe they can master complex environments, perceive coherence in the social environment, are autonomous, feel part of their communities and have positive relations with others.
Specific aspects in PMH include mindfulness, emotional intelligence, brain development, maturation/psychological and social development, critical thinking/self-control, spirituality, social skills, social attachment, physical behaviours and physical/built environments that contribute to PMH.
Mental health problems refer to signs and symptoms of insufficient intensity or duration to meet the criteria for any mental disorder. Almost everyone has experienced mental health problems in which the distress one feels matches some of the signs and symptoms of mental disorders. Mental health problems may warrant active efforts in health promotion, prevention, and treatment.”
The list of MH problems and related factors includes: difficulties in making the transition between levels of schooling (pre-school, elementary school, secondary school and post-secondary education/training/employment), nurturing resilience, living with parents or in families with mental illness, bereavement, stress/distress, social isolation, homelessness/transience, trauma from natural disasters, pandemics and conflicts and more.
Interactions between mental health and a variety of health, social and economic problems. While it is difficult to separate out cause-effect relationships we should not position MH as the panacea or root of all problems. Consequently, it is important to carve out the psychological aspects that can be addressed effectively and realistically through MH public policies and programs.
The list of interactions with other conditions, diseases and problems includes; intellectual, physical and learning disabilities, child abuse and neglect, child sexual abuse, unintentional pregnancy, bullying/aggression, addictions to substances (tobacco, alcohol, drugs, medications) as well as gambling, discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender, culture, race and language, cultural isolation, cultural oppression and others.
Mental illness is the term that refers collectively to all diagnosable mental disorders. Mental disorders are health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behaviour (or some combination thereof) associated with distress and/or impaired functioning. The category of mental illness refers to disorders diagnosed using one of the current systems of diagnostics such as DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) or ICD -10 (World Health Organization, 2007).
The list of mental illnesses that present during adolescence include compulsive behaviours, generalised anxiety, ADHD, FASD, autism, behaviour disorders, aggression, self-harm, suicide, overcoming stigma to access services and support and others.
Fundamentally, mental health is about the individual successfully adapting to her/his environment, by making changes in him/herself, by changes being made in their environment or in modifying the interactions between people and their environments.. Mental health does not mean absence of mental distress as distress can often be normal or expected and is often a signal that adaptation is needed. Mental health is dependent upon a healthy brain, a healthy body and a healthy environment. Mental health problems can be understood as difficulties in adaptation, either due to individual traits, undeveloped strengths or weaknesses that make it difficult for the individual to adapt, factors in the environment that make adaptation difficult, significant life experiences or incidents or a combination or interactions of the above. A mental disorder can be understood as a failure of adaptation, either due to factors within the individual (for example: genetics), factors unique to the environment (for example severe and ongoing trauma) or a combination thereof.
The Nature of Mental Health in Children & Adolescents
The mental health of children and youth can be conceptualized as a tapestry of inter-related threads that can be loosely grouped into four overlapping categories; positive mental health (e.g emotional health, mindfulness, critical thinking, attachments), problems caused by life experiences (e.g. bereavement, stress, divorce), interactions with other health or social problems (e.g. bullying, addictions, discrimination based on race or sexual orientation) and mental illness (e.g. depression, anxiety, suicide). Fundamentally, mental health is about the individual successfully adapting to her/his environment, by making changes in him/herself, by changes being made in their environment or in modifying the interactions between people and their environments.. Mental health does not mean absence of mental distress as distress can often be normal or expected and is often a signal that adaptation is needed. Mental health is dependent upon a healthy brain, a healthy body and a healthy environment. Mental health problems can be understood as difficulties in adaptation, either due to individual traits, undeveloped strengths or weaknesses that make it difficult for the individual to adapt, factors in the environment that make adaptation difficult, significant life experiences or incidents or a combination or interactions of the above. A mental disorder can be understood as a failure of adaptation, either due to factors within the individual (for example: genetics), factors unique to the environment (for example severe and ongoing trauma) or a combination thereof.
Social, economic and cultural factors will interact with the social norms of the local community, the practices of families and schools and the individual emotional, genetic, developmental and intellectual characteristics of students to influence mental health. Mental health is interwoven with several other health and social issues affecting young people. Psychological health and well-being is also an independent feature of the child and is comprised of several aspects of the mind. The mental health of children can be more vulnerable during transitions into primary school, between primary and secondary school, into a new neighbourhood, between secondary school and post-secondary studies or work. Such stress, or stress caused by other life events, may cause the onset of a previously latent or manageable mental illness. One of the major complicating factors in preventing or managing mental health problems or illnesses is that social stigma discourages people from seeking medical help or other forms of support.
Several well-recognized theories have been developed to explain the nature of child/youth mental health as well as approaches, programs and other interventions that can promote positive mental health, prevent mental health problems or alleviate/reduce the impact of mental illnesses. These include:
- emotional intelligence theory, which has evolved into a "social-emotional" approach to mental health promotion and learning
- attachment theory that has evolved into a variety of programs that seek to strengthen the connection between the young person and their family, peers, trusted adults in the school or other institutions or their community
- resilience theory, which is leading to new understanding of why some youth bounce back from and overcome severe challenges and how response mechanisms can be built into contexts, institutions and programs to support recovery or endurance
- stages of change/trans-theoretical theory that explains how behaviours are contemplated, adopted and changed
- self-determination theory
- cognitive-behavioural theory which is used to guide various therapies and health services
- health-belief model which describes how beliefs about customs/norms and our own capacity to act will influence our behaviour
- social learning theory, which explains how we use cues and observations from our relationships and social environments as a guide for our own actions
Mental disorders in young people contribute the most significant proportion to the burden of illness in this group. About 70% of mental disorders onset during childhood and adolescence. About one in five young people will experience a mental disorder requiring professional help. Many more young people will demonstrate significant mental health problems that may require interventions. In Canada it is estimated that one in six young people who require care do not receive it in a timely manner. Although suicide rates among young people have been decreasing over the last decade, suicide still remains a leading cause of death in this age group.
The Influence of the School Physical and Social Environment, Organization and Routines on Mental Health
The influence of the school on child and adolescent mental health can be examined in four areas, the social environment of the school, the physical environment of the school, the impact of school processes and routines and the impact of school-related transitions on the child's development. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that the social attachments formed during the school day, with peers, teachers, mentors, coaches and others as well as the overall ethos of the school can have a significant impact on the mental health of its students. Similarly, the physical attributes of school buildings, facilities and grounds can have an impact through the provision of natural light,greenery and other factors. School organization, through practices such as middle and senior high schools, the use of teacher advisers and "home rooms" in large schools, and student recognition, reward and promotion/retention practices will have an impact as early as grade one. Finally, the critical transitions between pre-school and regular school, into high school, out of high school into further studies or work and even between schools after family moves can result in students feeling excluded, lonely or stressed.
School-based and School-Linked Actions to Promote Mental Health
Schools acting with the direction and support of government ministries, school boards and working collaboratively with other agencies and professionals as well as parents and young people, can make a substantial contribution to enhancing the mental health of youth. This may include but not be limited to the following: developing mental health awareness, knowledge, skills and beliefs among students, educators and parents; creating supportive social and physical school environments; helping to deliver programs that can assist in the identification, triage and referral of young people at risk of mental disorder; providing "on site" services to address mental health problems; providing on-going liaison with health care providers to meet the needs of youth receiving care for mental disorders; promoting staff wellness and more.
These actions can be grouped and coordinated within comprehensive approaches, coordinated agency-school programs and whole school strategies which have been defined as "school mental health" frameworks, plans and programs (SMIP's). Similar and related SMIP's have been developed to promote social & emotional learning, caring school communities, inclusive schools and child friendly schools.
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, Mar 8 2011, 9:38 AM EST
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