To what extent are schools able to support students with mental health problems

learning?

1. Introduction

1.1 Definition of mental health and mental well-being

The term Mental Health is often utilised to represent individual’s ability to cope up with

everyday’s stress. Mental Health signifies the own's capability of contribution to the community

or society (Dykens, 1971). The concept of mental health is misunderstood with the theories of

stigma, fear, etc. The mental well-being of the pupils has emerged to be an essential priority for

the education system all across the globe. Children are experiencing anxiety, breakdown,

oppositional disorders, depression and attention difficulties. The mental health and well-being of

student play a significant role in the development of competence, happiness, self-determination,

capacities and positive self-esteem to work, play and love (Fuller, 2006). While most of the

young people and children receive positive mental development through good family

upbringings and social relationships, and active learning, there are enormous numbers of children

who face mental health problems during their developing phase (Raphael, 2000). Hence, it is

important to know to what extent are schools able to support pupils with psychological health

problems.

1.2 Research Background

The support for children with mental problems has been a centre of study over the last

five years. It is one of the most debilitating, severe and persistent illness occurring to the young

people. The definition of mental health and mental difficulties is quite different. It is important to

observe the techniques that are used by the schools in identifying the mental health problems of

pupils to know the issues that are faced by the schools and other educational institutions. It has

been seen that the mental health problems occur due to family related problems, low self-

esteems, low IQ, communication problems, abuse, bereavement, physical illness, genetic

influences, and racial, social and cultural discriminations. It is the duty of the educational

authorities to identify the problems of the mental health and develop new techniques to enhance

the quality of the society. The research mainly focuses on identifying the supporting system of

the schools and other educational institutions in the UK and analyse their efficiency in solving

the problems of mental health.

1.2.1 Aim and objective

The main aim and objective of the paper are to analyse the aspects of how schools and

other educational institutions supports the positive academic outcomes. The research

concentrates mainly on the themes of positive aspects of the mental health of the children and

their relationship with the teachers. The study identifies the gap between the actual techniques

and the practical approaches that are used by the schools. The analysis of the intervention models

and advantages and disadvantages of these techniques are mainly discussed in this paper.

1.2.2 Problem statements

The research emphasises on three major themes. These themes are named as social

inclusion, intervention and review of issues and practices. The problems statements that are

analysed in this research are drawn from those subjects. The research questions are stated in the

points given below:

What is the root causes of mental health problems?

Does racial discrimination affect mental health?

How the schools meet their needs to support mental health problems of the students?

What amount of support is provided by the local authorities to help schools to support the

mental health issues of the students?

How the class lessons helps in developing social skills of the students?

How the alternative curriculums within the schools are executed?

Is counselling and attending the local college of further education helpful in supporting

mental health problems?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the practices executed by the schools?

What are the attitudes, beliefs and values of the teachers regarding children’s mental well

being?

How do the attitudes, beliefs and values of the teachers regarding children’s mental well

being affects classroom practices?

What changes are needed to improve these practices?

What is the role of a mentor in the life of a student?

There are many more questions related to the mental health practices and issues faced by

the schools that are answered in this research study. The paper will help in eliminating the gaps

and developing new strategic moves to develop a healthy community of students with better

social skills.

1.3 Personal and professional influences

The recognition of the international attention that is growing in the education system

regards to the mental health issues stimulated to conduct the research on the given topic. The

development of psychological literacy is equally essential as physical and academic development

while supporting a child to develop mentally during the developing phase (Penner, 2004).

Emotional intelligence mainly focuses on positive values and attitudes, self-awareness and

understanding others, social interaction skills and responsible decision making (Payton et al.,

2000; Kress et al., 2004). It is necessary for a teacher or a mentor to have these qualities while

developing the social life of a child.

The research is influenced by a real life example of a close family friend who reported to

the Maudsley Mental Hospital for suffering from depression due to family breakdown. Her

depression later escalated to Schizophrenia. It was quite shocking to observe how a shallow

depression developed into such a serious diagnosis. Hence, both personal and professional

incidents of life influenced to conduct the present research.

1.4 Structure of the research

The research starts with a fundamental introduction to the topic and defines the mental

health and related issues that are faced by the schools while supporting the mental well-being of

the pupils. A literature review and case study has been conducted by collecting information from

different secondary sources. The literature review presents the findings of various researches

regarding mental well-being and the role of professional experts in developing the social life of

the students. The next chapter is of methodology that explains the techniques and research

methods used in completing the thesis paper. The method of qualitative research has been

demonstrated followed by the results and findings section (Biederman et al., 2002). The results

and findings chapter answers the primary and secondary research questions that are stated in

section 1.2.2. A discussion is carried on the results and findings explaining the reason for the

outcomes. The paper ends with the conclusion and recommendation that will help the schools

and local authorities in improving the mental health of the students.

2. Literature Review

2.1 Introduction

Mental health is a global issue that affects millions of people all around the world (World

Health Organization, 2011). The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare states it as one of the

health priorities. Herrman, Saxena and Moodie define mental health and emotional well-being as

a condition of social and psychological well-being. The researchers have also mentioned it as the

absence of frailty in a person’s mental health (Herrman, Saxena and Moodie, 2004, p.12). Mental

illness is not only a disease or ill-health but also a challenge for the society. Hence, emotional

well-being is the root of the actual performance of an individual or a society. Mental disorders

mainly occur in the younger age that seems to increase in the maturity stage (Raphael, 2000). A

survey shows that a large number of pupils with a disability, i.e., around seventy-five percentage

exhibit deficits in social skills and around twenty-nine percentage of adults require social skills

beyond the high schools in Australia (Elksnin and Elksnin, 2003). The students with disabilities

must not be confused with students with a mental disorder. Disability is inborn while mental

health issues occur by the social factors influencing the individual.

Mental health problem among the children is one of the most common challenges in the

society. Substantial mental health complexity has evidently required a significant amount of

intervention and consideration (Green et al., 2005). Understanding the emotional behaviours and

activities of the students, Health School Programme campaigns can be certainly implemented for

the students to provide them better physical and mental health well-being (Teich, Robinson, &

Weist, 2007). A Recent study by Wills has provided a significant amount of information to

determine the importance of emotional well-being for the students at the transition phase

(McLaughlin, 2011). Therefore, young people must get appropriate information about their

mental health problems in the schools from their teaching staffs (Shucksmith et al., 2007). In the

radiance of the theatrical, administrations of the schools must provide powerful resources to

maintain a high quality of Emotional Health and Well-being (EHWB) (Weare & Markham,

2005).

2.2 Role of the Government and concerned authorities

According to the Public health report, it is proposed that the area of public health and

mental health have joined to form a better result for the society. The government of the United

Kingdom has responded to the mental health challenges by identifying schools as the primary

place for intervention. Mental health well-being reflects the ability of a person or a group of

people to interact effectively with the surrounding environment (Chilcott, 2008; Bernard, 2001).

The government and the concerned authorities play an essential role in safeguarding the mental

condition of the students by implementing new programs and initiatives to develop their social

skills. The government has identified the essentiality of the Targeted Mental Health in Schools

(TaMHS) by considering the role of schools in developing mental health awareness.

Understanding a large-scale study aimed to develop a precise framework; TaMHS has efficiently

participated in delivering emotional health and well-being of the students (Wolpert et al., 2011).

The concerned authorities, however, have accessed the collateral consequences and mental

health interferences that directly support the pupil’s problems related to mental health. The

government has applied well-validated and efficient provisions for schools to be followed in

developing the emotional and mental health of the pupils (Tisdall et al., 2005).

2.3 Involvement and recognition of strategies in developing mental health

International authorities such as World Health Organization (WHO) and the United

Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have accurately identified the responsibility of schools

towards the pupils on mental health promotions (Han and Weiss, 2005). Identifying the mental

challenges of the students can purposely utilize in constructing networks that can promote mental

health among the pupils (Howard and Johnson, 2004). The International Union for Health

Promotion and Education and Schools for Health in Europe have identified the risks associated

with integrated mental health issues and challenges to deliver supportive educational measures

for the pupils to overcome the problem (Langley et al., 2010). The concerned authorities and the

government have alternatively put more sources on identifying the warning signs of the students

about mental disturbances. The significant vulnerabilities attached to the mental health of the

students need to be cured at the school level (Plessen, Royal and Peterson, 2007). The teachers

must deliver mental health awareness to the students so that an increasing number of cases can

be controlled at the grassroots level. The teachers must compare the mental health conditions of

the pupils with the theoretical models to make significant decisions (Santor and Bagnell, 2008).

The professional treatment towards the students in school can determine the further scopes for

students’ development. Therefore, mental health strategies in the school premises are reasonable

to support the pupils to learn about mental health problems (Simonoff et al., 2008). A current

survey of the professional teachers of the UK based schools can highlight the current status of

mental health problems among the students (Hill and Cameron, 1999). Therefore, it is necessary

to understand the level of professional skills of the teachers to support the students suffering

from mental health problems. Identifying the risks associated with mental health concerns,

teachers must deliver efficient strategies to the students to deal with the mental problems

(Stoeber and Rennert, 2008). In this way, the teaching staffs can help out the students to

understand and tackle the mental health issues and challenges.

2.4 Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Schools

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common problems as

far as mental health of the pupils is concerned (Gale et al., 2013). Therefore, addressing the

mental health condition of the students such as anxiety, attentive disorder, psychiatric disorder,

and gentle mental retardation can eventually determine the disability level of the pupil’s mental

health (Posserud et al., 2013). Children aged between 12 to 15 years can demonstrate some

critical dysfunctions that need to consider while judging the mental condition of the pupils. The

institutes in the UK have actively monitored how Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

(ADHD) can create a significant impact on the pupils as far as mental health is concerned

(Martel, 2009). Considering the diverse culture and environmental regions, reliable and accurate

information can be produced to pay attention to proper therapies that can help to identify mental

disorder among the students in the school premises. Large-scale studies on the topic can discover

proper supportive argument about the essentiality of professional activities to determine the

mental health of the pupils in the schools. Scientific and medical approaches must be taken to

make the teachers aware about the mental health by considering the Attention-deficit

hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) factor among the school going students (Steinhausen et al.,

2006). As far as the responsibility of the teachers is concerned, proper training facilities and

assistance are necessary within the schools to check the mental health level of the students.

2.5 Role of professional experts

The professional experts play a significant role in the education system in providing

children’s services. The mental health has become a primary focus of the education system in the

United Kingdom and other European countries (Green et al., 2005). The local authorities have

worked together in promoting the mental health of the students to support the students

experiencing underdeveloped mental issues. The Scottish government launches a “National

Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well-being” (NHS Scotland, 2003). The program

emphasises using of professional experts like nurses and mentors in providing psychological

supports to the students. Hence, the role of the professional expert is essential in maintaining

emotional health and well-being of pupils in the schools to solve the problems of mental health.

2.6 Attitude and role of teachers and coaches

Students have the highest scope of mental health issues across their lifecycle. They do not

tend to take help and gets the lowest rate of mental health services because of the negligence of

the supporting bodies (Rickwood et al., 2005). Kelly, Mazzer and Debra said that the teachers

and sports coaches play a prominent role in supporting young people’s mental health. The

teachers and coaches act as a role model for the young people in developing their psychological

behaviour. Traditionally, the mental health symptoms can be classified into two sections or

groups, such as ‘psychotic’ and ‘neurotics’ symptoms (Lightfoot, Mukherjee and Sloper, 2001).

Psychotic symptoms can be termed as the perception of an individual, whereas, the neurotic

symptoms is related to the emotional experiences of a person, i.e., fright, nervousness and

dejection. Identifying the categories of mental health symptoms, the teachers and mentors can

provide substantial guidance to the students (Baruch, 2001). Reports have shown that the

understanding of teachers can efficiently judge the mental health condition of the pupils. The

helping attitude of the teachers in the schools can support to make the significant decision for the

students (Guastella et al., 2013). Research investigating the proper responsibility of the teachers

can show some legitimate activities that can improve the condition of mental health of the

students. Interpersonal communication with the teachers can instrumentally encourage the

students to identify the mental health problems (Pierce et al., 2010).

The reports have also shown that teachers and mentors can deliver special skills and

techniques to the pupils at the schools through classes so that students can tackle the mental

health problems. Most of the time, students hesitate to share mental health issues with the

parents. Therefore, the involvement of the teachers has been recorded as a special factor in

supporting the young minds (Phillipson, Jones and Wiese, 2009). However, the role of discretion

is very evident in teaching in the schools. Therefore, the discretion model allows the teachers and

mentors to utilise ‘the Tier one Stage of Observation and Diagnosing’. As a result of the

consequences, the teaching staffs can identify the mental stress level of the pupils to determine

the necessary steps essential for mental health restoration (Zins and Ponti, 1985). Following the

reports and research statement, teachers and coaches must take additional responsibility such as

psychological skill development to monitor students’ mental health problems in the classes.

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