Mental Health in schools - prevention, partnership-working and training.

Child and adolescent mental health is a huge issue. With my experience working many years both within child and adolescent mental health and with adults - the realisation that recognition and help with mental health issues in children is paramount. I often find myself working with adults who were affected as children, and developed poor coping mechanisms in order to survive. Childhood these days should not be about survival.?

I also have an autistic child, with ADHD and anxiety and his treatment in the school context is less than ideal despite my efforts to have school work together with other services. As a parent my voice, knowledge of my child and my extensive background and training are invalidated.

Every child that is told to stop crying or they will go on a naughty chart, every child who is exhibiting restless or anxious behaviours and put in naughty corners- each of these children are learning that they are intrinsically ‘bad’ for having feelings, anxiety or their neurodiversity. They shut down until teenage years or even earlier where suicidal ideation and self harm set in. Then they grow into adult and binge eat or use alcohol or other drugs to self medicate.

Home is one place to start great mental health practice but these children are in school for most of the time and for most of the time schools are failing in their duty of care towards our children’s mental well-being due to lack of education and the fact that schools seem to practice as a separate entity outside the realms of community child mental health. I’ve worked in many places where childhood teams?work together with schools and daycares, with regular education sessions and case conferences. This doesn’t appear to be happening here.

More mental health input and training is needed in schools, we can’t let another generation suffer and then flood the mental health system as adolescents or adults. Prevention is key and it’s quite simple. Professionals working together in partnership with schools.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2016) reported:

– Not being aware of any recorded suicide deaths of children under the age of five years.

– In 2016 suicide was the leading cause of death of children between 5 and 17 years of age.

In the period 2010 – 2014, the ABS reported:

– 88 deaths (43 males, 45 females) by suicide of children aged 5 – 14 years old.

– 305 suicides of children aged 5 – 17 years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were over-represented (84 of the deaths) compared to non- Indigenous children in this group.

Data is available from Kids Helpline in relation to contacts by children aged

5 – 14 years for the period 2012 – 2016. This provides significant evidence in relation to their suicidal thoughts, intent and attempts. During this period, a total of 59,053 counselling contacts related to suicide were made, from 12,493 children. Of those contacts:

– 12.4% were concerned for another person;

– 82.9% reported suicidal thoughts and fears;

– 3.2% expressed an immediate intent; and

– 1.5% reported a current attempt at the time of making contact.

– 85% of these contacts were females.

Schools could be excellent places for monitoring changes in individual student wellbeing, identifying emerging problems and partnering with parents/guardians and inter-agency colleagues to provide support. Knowing what to look out for, and having clear internal and external referral pathways will ensure that school staff are well-equipped to respond quickly and confidently when they notice changes in students.

Let’s make this happen.

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https://headspace.org.au/assets/download-cards/02-HSP254-Suicide-in-Primary-Schools-Summary-FA-low-res2.pdf