What do we mean by Mentally Well Schools?

A Headteacher in my network messaged me on LinkedIn and asked me what I think the features of mentally well schools are, and how you would know if your school is ‘mentally well’ – partly because she wondered how her school would measure up.

This was my reply to her:

Thanks for messaging me. Brilliant question!

I think that mental health is on a continuum, and relative mental wellness both for an individual and for a community such as a school is about the level of understanding (education) and ongoing attention that’s given to supporting mental health and wellbeing, and to fostering conditions that are conducive to mental wellness.

In my opinion, mentally well schools i.e. schools which are truly conducive to mental wellness, cultivate a holistic whole-school approach to promoting mental health and wellbeing.

Features of mentally healthy or mentally well schools include:

☑️ A genuine recognition that mental health is just as important as physical health, and that the development of emotional intelligence is just as important as other intelligences/talents

☑️ Education for both pupils and staff on how to look after their own and others’ mental health and wellbeing, and nurture mental wellness, in the form of regular and prioritised PSHE lessons for all (i.e. not squeezed off the curriculum in favour of the core subjects, as can often end up happening in reality) and training for all staff on how to nurture their pupils’ and their own mental wellbeing

☑️ A school leadership which has the foresight and agility to adapt and respond to evolving needs around mental wellbeing, such as the pandemic, or the crisis in young people’s mental health related to social media, or the current crisis in mental health being experienced by many staff

☑️ Compassionate and emotionally intelligent leadership, permeating through to all members of the community

☑️ A genuine culture of compassion for anyone experiencing mental ill health, including a recognition that mental health concerns can afflict any of us, and a genuine drive to challenge the stigma around mental health issues, whether mental ill health is experienced by a student or member of staff, because we know the stigma still exists in many school communities, as it does in society at large

☑️ Strong anti-bullying message throughout the school year, as well as a focus on ensuring true equality, inclusion and respect for diversity in all its forms. [Some of these themes were explored in our previous article for World Mental Health Day 2021.]

☑️ A supportive approach to parents, for example workshops to improve their ability to support their children’s mental wellness (and if possible, initiatives to support parents’ own mental health too, because it’s all linked)

☑️ A culture of prioritising mental health and wellbeing, in much the same way as safeguarding is prioritised…Which leads me on to say that robust safeguarding procedures are also very important.

☑️ Genuine regard for teacher and staff mental health and wellbeing, in recognition that the risk for burnout is increasing, and that student mental health and educator mental health go hand in hand

☑️ Evidence-based intervention programmes to support the mental health of those pupils (and staff) who need extra help, programmes such as those which we provide at Mentally Well Schools

☑️ A balance between the need for testing and some data, and a recognition that test scores and exam grades are not paramount, hence prioritising practices that truly value and honour the whole child/person

☑️ A school counsellor for students to talk to, and preferably for staff too

☑️ Efficient mechanisms for early support and intervention

☑️ Robust referral systems for pupils to access outside support as needed

☑️ Trauma-informed and trauma-sensitive environments which seek to provide safe environments and avoid the risk of re-traumatising children and young people who have experienced childhood adversity or trauma

Although not an exhaustive list, I think that these are the main features of “mentally well schools”.

In all honesty, I could talk about this topic with you all day!! I feel very passionately about promoting mental health and wellbeing, and I feel genuinely worried for the mental health of the next generation especially in light of the pandemic – and also for the mental wellness of my fellow-educators through the current crisis.

My colleague Darryl, a psychotherapist specialising in adolescent and adult mental health, shares my concern. We are trying to do our bit to support school staff and pupils in meaningful ways.

Any thoughts on my answer?

 

Ava Shabnum Hasan  

Founder of Mentally Well Schools and Associate Lecturer on the  ‘MSc Mental Health & Wellbeing in Education’ at  Buckinghamshire New University.   A former SENDCo and Senior Leader in schools in England and internationally, with 20 years’  experience in education, now working with a leading Psychotherapist.

Mentally Well Schools is an online platform of free mental health and wellbeing resources, paid evidence-informed programmes, and CPD training to improve student and staff mental health, including a DfE (Department for Education, U.K.) quality assured course. www.mentallywellschools.co.uk 

P.S. If you have something to say in response to this post, please make a comment below. We’d welcome your thoughts!