Rationale
Production Stills
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Between January 2005 and March 2007, eight young students in County Meath between the ages of 13 and 18 took their own lives. None of these students were known to the health authorities or were assessed as being ‘at risk’. Mental ill-health accounts for nearly one-quarter of the total burden of ill-health in the European region affecting 27% of adult Europeans in any given year. The cost of mental ill-health accounts for 3-4% of GDP with much of this burden due to lost productivity. There are an estimated 163,000 suicides in the European region annually. The issue of promoting better mental health is therefore pertinent throughout European society as a central economic and quality of life indicator. There is an almost universal reluctance to discuss mental health issues openly. As a consequence, the general understanding of mental health and well-being and of the impact of mental health disorders on individuals and societies is low. Mental health and mental illness are determined by multiple and interacting social, psychological and biological factors, just as health and illness in general.
Promoting positive mental health is a multidimensional concept that implies the creation of individual, social, and environmental conditions, which enable optimal overall psychological development. Key determinants of mental health and well-being include; personal autonomy; adaptability; ability to cope with stressors; self-confidence; social skills; social responsibility; and tolerance. Research clearly indicates that the risk of mental illness is associated with indicators of poverty and low income which are directly associated with low educational achievement. Mental health is influenced by experiences in everyday life, in families and schools, on streets, and at work. School environments represent one of the key arenas for the social, personal and emotional development of young people and are potentially the most powerful setting for promoting mental health and well-being.
Aims and Objectives
The implementation strategy to be adopted to address positive mental health promotion in schools will be based on a three-tiered model of intervention.
Level 1 – Universal Approach - All students and teachers will have access to learning resources and supports thereby building the capacity and skills of all students to make them more resilient to everyday challenges, like stress, motivation, peer pressure, etc. Universal training of all teachers and support staff in schools will have a significant impact on the provision of support at this level.
Level – Early Warning – The focus is on early identification of students who may be showing early signs of mental health difficulties or who are at risk of developing unhealthy patterns of behaviour. At this level it is anticipated that 20% of students will require more intensive supports. Professionals trained in mental health intervention may work with small groups who have displayed worrying patterns of behaviour.
Level 3 – Multi-Stakeholder Response – The focus is on putting in place interventions or care plans for individuals who have serious identified difficulties. It is expected that 3-5% of students will fall into this category. At this level only trained specialists will work with students such as counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists, etc, within or without the school environment as necessary.
The ‘Happy Days’ Mental Health Policy Tool-kit will support the aims and objectives and the implementation strategy by providing access to all necessary tools and resources. Priority actions to be implemented to develop components of the Tool-kit include; developing and implementing appropriate initial and in-service training programmes for teachers as part of their continuous professional development to enable them identify and address mental health determinants within the school environment; identifying existing resources and curricula for addressing specific psychosocial mental health determinants and to develop new resources where gaps in existing provision are apparent; supporting the role of parents in mental health promotion.
Through the provision of a range of innovative text and Internet based resources Happy Days will also capitalise on the potential of virtual worlds to promote mental health and well-being and reduce the risks for students engaged in virtual environments.