SCHOOLCHILDREN TAUGHT THAT STRESS IS NOT A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE
Schoolchildren who are taught that stress and sadness are normal parts of life are likely to have better mental health, a study suggests.
A trial investigated which strategies are most effective at improving the mental health awareness of British schoolchildren so they are able to know when their mental health is failing.
One approach, known as strategies for safety and wellbeing (SSW), involves normalising feelings of stress and sadness in children.
The University College London research, which was commissioned and funded by the Government, ran between 2018 and 2024 and involved 32,000 children from 500 schools across England.
Mindfulness approach
Those children enrolled on a SSW programme were taught that everyday emotions, including challenging ones, are normal to help them better understand how to differentiate these feelings from mental ill health.
It was found to significantly improve mental health literacy – specifically the intention to seek help if mental health problems arise in the future – in primary schools and in secondary schools.
Two other strategies – mindfulness-based exercises and relaxation techniques – were also trialled in primary (Years 4 and 5) and secondary schools (Years 7 and 8).
Relaxation, made up of daily five-minute relaxation-based sessions, significantly reduced emotional difficulties when delivered frequently and consistently in primary schools. However, it made emotional difficulties worse in secondary school-age children.
The mindfulness approach, where teachers delivered daily five-minute mindfulness sessions in class, reduced emotional difficulties when delivered frequently in secondary schools. But it had negative outcomes in younger pupils.
It comes amid soaring levels of mental health issues in children in the UK as the number of children needing specialist treatment for severe mental health problems has risen by more than 10 per cent.
NHS data showed 34,793 emergency, very urgent and urgent referrals for under-18s, between April and October 2024. This is an increase of 10 per cent from 31,749 in the same period the previous year.
A proactive rather than reactive strategy
The positive impact of the strategies in the study was small but meaningful, the scientists say.
“Schools have a critical role to play in the wellbeing of children and young people and, with the right tools, can even help to prevent mental health challenges,” said Professor Jess Deighton, project lead on the study from UCL.
“A key takeaway is for schools to pick evidence-based mental health approaches and monitor their impact.
“We found that some of the interventions trialled are only effective when delivered in full or for certain groups, but can cause unintended consequences for some.
“The most promising intervention – strategies for safety and wellbeing – is designed to help children and young people before potential problems escalate into mental ill health by normalising everyday emotions and showing where to find support if needed.
“This taps into what schools are already doing, but provides structured and comprehensive guidance to support staff in delivering these messages.
“It’s important to remember the impact of these interventions alone is small, and should be part of a wider, whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing.
“This involves building supportive relationships and a sense of belonging across the whole school community, as well as ensuring more targeted support for those that need it.
“As this was the first time these interventions were trialled in England, more research is needed to help us understand potential negative consequences and how these can be negated.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Through our plan for change, it is the Government’s mission to make sure every young person can achieve and thrive.
“Currently, too many children and young people are waiting too long to access the mental health support they need, making it all the more vital that promising studies like these can identify evidence-based early interventions to address problems before they escalate.”
2025-02-10T07:18:46Z