Introduction
The mental wellbeing of an individual whether they are a child, an infant, adolescent or adult, significantly affects their functionality with and in the society. Mental wellbeing is a significant concept embracing both interpersonal group experience and inner individual experience. It shows the individual’s capacity and the group to interact with their environment effectively and also plays a significant role in enhancing competence, happiness, and capacities to love, self-determination and positive self-esteem. As people grow into adulthood, their mental health becomes an important element enhancing to their full potential (Battaglia, et al.,. 2010 p.324). Nevertheless, many young children enjoy good psychological development, good family, and social relationships as well as effective. Many children though, experience mental wellbeing problems. These problems might end in the long run, and the mental health of the children improves with or without intervention. There are though other children who go through more severe and complex difficulties which in the long run affect their ability to enjoy life as well as meet the necessary age development milestones.
Mental wellbeing
Mental wellbeing concept is mostly used interchangeably with mental health or at times combined with mental health and wellbeing. According to the world health organization (WHO), mental wellbeing is a state of complete social, mental and physical wellbeing and not basically the absence of infirmity or disease (Veit and Ware, 2011 p.730). Mental health and wellbeing are important to the life quality in that it enables people to experience life to have a meaning and be active and creative citizens. Mental health is a significant component of productivity, stability, social cohesion and peace in the living environment, adding up to the economic development and social capital in the societies. The WHO argues that social, physical and mental functioning is independent and mental health is a balanced state including the environment, self, and others. Most recently the WHO defines the mental wellbeing as a state where the individual gets to know his or her abilities can cope with the normal life stressors is capable of contributing to his or her community and can work fruitfully or productively. Various international organizations like the UN, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the European Commission, measures mental health via social reporting. In this regard, mental wellbeing is the effective functioning foundation for communities and an individual (Warr, 2010 p.193-201). Mental wellbeing is more than the lack of mental illness because the wellbeing state has value in itself. Wellbeing does not relate to a future visionary condition but a present state that is sustainable homeostasis.
The role of schools in developing mental well-being in children
Positive mental health promotion is perfectly done within the early years of the life of a child, most likely within the age of 2 to 7 (Eccles, 2010 p.30-34). As referred by the WHO, the school is an important setting for mental health promotion. It is found that a strong relationship exists between the student’s attitude, classroom performance, health, and participation. The promotion in health is about realizing the potential in people to making them more resilient (Kelly, et al., 2011 p.26). This involves competencies, resources, and strengths.
Best practices in school-based health promotions
Various characteristics build successful programmes of mental health promotion. These include; good research and theoretical base, evaluation and high-quality methods of research, clarifying key objectives and goals, infrastructure support form management, not re-invention, programme fidelity and transferability between cultures and countries.
According to Clarke and Barry (2010), programmes adopting a whole school approach are most likely to create a positive social, mental health and educational results (Glasgow et al., 2011 p.1261). From the arguments of the Joint Consortium for school health, the systematic review was done on behalf of WHO by Stewart-Brown (2006) showed that school-based programmes are specifically effective if applied using the approaches common to the health promoting school approach of the WHO (Durlak, et al., 2011 p.405).
Approaches to school-based mental health programmes
School-based mental health programmes have three well-known approaches;
Targeted programmes- these programmes aim at improving the mental health of the children which are experiencing increased risks of mental health problems.
Universal programmes- these programmes aim at improving the mental health of the whole children’s population.
Indicated programmes – these programmes are aimed at children who are already showing the signs of the mental health problems (Wells, et al., 2013 p.197).
There should be a spotlight on the universal programmes being it keeps the view that enhancing mental health is something relating to every individual. The universal programmes involve curriculum-based skills like social, physical and health education (SPHE) and the whole school approach (Mann, et al., 2014 p.362). The approach of the whole school is realized to be more effective.
The whole school approach
This approach is being favored by various experts in the mental health promotion field being it involves staff, parents, and children and is sustained over time. This tends to make a more successful intervention.
The international union for health promotion and education (IUHPE) (2005) argues that the whole school approach is at times defined as “health promoting school,” “healthy school,” “universal” and “multi-systemic” though there is lack of agreement concerning what it means in practice (Patton, et al., 2010 p.586).
The school's role in mental wellbeing
The schools talk about the mental health
Mental health should be integrated into school curriculum since this would help in increasing the understanding as well as reduce the stigma around issues. Without building on mental health in schools, pupils might not have the awareness that their mental health could be deteriorating then feel ashamed or silenced when seeking help (Vostanis, et al., 2013 p.153).
Whenever both the teachers and pupils have a discussion that is more open concerning mental health issues, the problems will as well be easier to identify early enough and this in return would help in building the understanding and knowledge of the students on the subject of mental wellbeing.
Mental health should be talked about in a similar manner by which healthy eating or physical education is talked about. Since, it has been found out in various researches that adopting a comprehensive approach on discussing mental health in schools support all the pupils plus those already experiencing the mental health difficulties (Pinfold, et al., 2013 p.123),
The schools create a safe space for the students
Students always tend to perform better when they feel safe. This implies that the students must be in an environment free from bullying incidents and are also addressed including the increasing rate of cyberbullying (Griffin, et al., 2011 p.7-22). This evidence indicates that whenever a student tends to feel a sense of belonging, fell listened to whenever they raise a concern and have a perfect teacher and peer relationship, also adds up in supporting positive mental health in the schools (Holley and Steiner, 2013 p.49-64).
Schools as a support for all
Every individual in schools right from the teachers to the teaching assistants, the lunch staff of the school to the nurse of the school, all has particular roles they play in enhancing the school environment as well as making the school more open to discussions within the mental health. Everyone in the school staff can, either way, do their roles if they are healthy themselves and supported (Cowie, 2011 p.85) Digging into the staff’s wellbeing shall itself create a positive influence on the student’s wellbeing as well. Researchers indicate that when the school staffs are properly trained in mental health, they become more confident in supporting their students (OSEP Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions, et al., 2000 p.131). It is also true that the additional mental health training as well helped to boost the resilience and job satisfaction of the staff.
The schools recognize that mental wellbeing takes a village
Looking after the mental health of children is not just something that can be done in a small scale, this involves a shift in the manner every individual not only work together but as well communicate on issues. The schools have a lot of additional things that they are already doing in this area (Walsh, et al., 2011 p.349). This includes working with parents and having the school staffs as the mentors for the students who are vulnerable. Several schools have as well introduced peer mentoring where the students are partnered up with other students who are a little older and can look out for the younger ones.
Taking the students through extracurricular social activities has as well been shown to be helpful in that it has a positive impact on the students by issuing a space for the students to work through their emotions, in the long run, coming up with strategies to address their challenges (Hornby and Atkinson, 2011 p.3-9).
Schools as a crucial environment for enhancing resilience and emotional wellbeing
Schools provide universal services which are accessible for five days in a week by most children. This implies that over the course of their education, children tend to spend more than 7, 800 hours at school. This is such a huge amount of time being spent in the classroom (Baker, et al., 2013 p.206). The schools provide a convenient environment for enhancing good emotional wellbeing as well as identifying the signs of mental distress and behavior changes early enough (Noam and Hermann, 2012 p.861-875). For those children facing adversity at home, the schools can as well issue a therapeutic, protective and consistent environment which would help the children to cope.
Parents see teachers and schools as the first port of call when raising concerns regarding the emotional wellbeing and the mental health of children. According to various researchers, parents of children with mental health problems are most likely to run for help or advice from teachers or schools rather than any other service or to a professional (Pinfold, et al., 2012 p.48-52).
An indicator of academic success and achievement
Clear evidence is shown that emotional wellbeing is a major indicator of a child’s achievement and improved outcomes later in life. The education departments have realized that on average children experiencing a high level of behavioral, social, emotional and school wellbeing shown higher levels of academic achievement plus they were more engaged in school.
Another significant academic attainment determinant than IQ is social and emotional competencies. This was realised by an international study done by the OECD showing a correlation between school success and emotional wellbeing (Wyn, et al., 2010 p.594). Also, evidence shows that the pupil’s ability in managing emotions can impede or help their learning, work ethic, academic engagement, the ultimate school success, and commitment. Evidence shows that the school mental health initiatives can lead to important improvements in the mental health of children, their emotional and social skills as well as a reduction in classroom anxiety, misbehavior, bullying and depression (Slade, M., 2010 p.26).
The wellbeing of students has also proved to be significant for the academic output of schools. Overall, the whole school approaches are most effective in enhancing good mental health and wellbeing. These school approaches can improve the pupils and staff wellbeing and also have a positive impact on the reduction and prevention of mental health problems within the school populations (Park, 2014 p.25-39). It has also been identified that a strong correlation between schools that gained a high grade for health, personal economic and social education and those that were grade outstanding for the overall effectiveness.
How schools can promote the mental health of their pupils
The structure and culture of schools can enhance their pupil’s mental health by;
A committed senior management team that would set a culture within the school valuing all the pupils and allowing them to fell a sense of belonging so that the pupils can find it easy to talk about their problems in a non-stigmatising way (Goodenow, 2010 p 79-90).
An effective strategic role for the qualified teachers acting as the special educational needs coordinator; this ensures that all adults working in the school understand their responsibilities to the pupils having disabilities and special needs of education, including pupils whose persistent mental health difficulties imply that they require special educational provision (Jennings, et al., 2013 p.374). Particularly, the special educational needs coordinator will ensure the colleagues know and understand how the school identifies and satisfies the needs of the pupils, issue advice and support to colleagues as required and liaise with external special educational needs and disabilities professionals as required.
Working with carers and parents as well as with the students making sure their wishes and opinions are taken into account and that they are kept informed so that they can participate in decisions taken concerning them (Hromek and Roffey, 2011 p.629),
Continuous professional development for staff that makes it clear that enhancing good mental health is the role of all the community and school staff members. It informs them concerning the early signs of mental health problems, what is a cause and what is not a cause for concern as well as what to do whenever they think to have spotted a developing problem.
Clear processes and systems to help the staffs who spot the children with possible mental health problems, providing a route to enhance issue with clear accountability systems and referrals. Schools should closely work with other professional to have a range of support services that can be put in line depending on the spotted needs (Weare and Markham, 2011p.118). These should be set out in the schools’ published special educational needs and disabilities policy.
Conclusion
As the mental health of children becomes one of the most pressing issues in the society, many teachers find themselves in the frontline with the effect being felt in schools across the country (Glover, 2010 p.11). Behavioral difficulties do not necessarily mean that a child or young person has a possible mental health problem or a special educational need (Nyqvist, et al., 2013 p.394). Behavioral difficulties do not necessarily mean that a child or young person has a possible mental health problem or a special educational need. Therefore, it’s only the medical professionals that should make a formal diagnosis of a mental health condition.
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