mental health programes in schools

2. WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH ?
• MENTAL HEALTH refers to the
maintenance of successful mental activity.
This includes:
 Psychological development
 Productive social relationships
 Effective listening
 Ability to care for oneself
 Good physical health
 Effective economic participation as adults
in Later years.

3. TODAY WE KNOW
THAT MENTAL DISORDERS
ARE BRAIN
DISORDERS.

4. Many of the mental disorders begin at the exact
time that youth are in or entering schools ,
colleges or universities.
PDD
ADHD
Anxiety Panic
Depression
BIPOLAR
Schizophrenia

5. What impact do you think this{mental health
problems} has on students?
School dropouts
Difficulties in learning
Behavioral difficulties
Emotional difficulties
Performance difficulties
School failures
Stress

6. WHY SCHOOLS???
Because schools can act
as a safety net ,
protecting children
from hazards which
affect their learning ,
development and
psychosocial learning.

7. SCHOOLS are strongest institutions in
the child’s life which enhance self –
esteem, confidence and promote positive
development.

8. A MODEL FRAMEWORK FOR SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH
PROGRAMMES:

9. SCHOOL MENTAL PROGRAMMES ARE
EFFECTIVE IN:
• Improving learning
• Mental well being
• Treating mental disorders
• Higher school attendance rates
• Enhanced academic success
• Less school drop outs
• Reduced criminal behavior
• Reduce drug use , alcohol
consumption and cigarette smoking
In children and adolescence.

10. INTERVENTION MODEL:

11. PROMOTING PSYCHOSOCIAL
COMPETENCE:
Decision making and problem solving
Critical and creative thinking
Communication and interpersonal
relationship skills
Self-awareness and empathy
Skills for coping with emotions and stressors

12. MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION
The brain and behavior
Psychological and emotional development
The effects of stress
Successful coping strategies{ideally linked to life skills
classes}
Common psychological problems in youth and families
Risk factors
How and where to seek assistance
Healthy relationships between the sexes{including sex
education as appropriate}

13. TEACHER training institutions:
Life skills education
Basic knowledge of risk factors
Basic knowledge of mental disorders
Ability to recognize psychosocial and mental
disorders
Classroom management of psychosocial problems
Mental health interventions
Use of referral resources

14. IDENTIFICATION AND INTERVENTION:
IDENTICATION OF PSYCHOSOCIAL PROBLEMS:
 Smoking, substance abuse, too early sexual activity
and life endangering adventures.
 Changes or deviations in emotions or behaviors.
Like:
o aggressiveness, excessive shyness .
o Worsening of interpersonal relationships.
o Poor school attendance.
o Decline in academic performance.
o Irritable and widely fluctuating moods.

15. IDENTIFICATION AND INTERVENTION:
o Changes in peer group
o Frequent risk taking behaviors
o Obsessive and compulsive behaviors
o Unusually exaggerated or repressed feelings
associated with physical illness
o Learning problems

16. IDENTIFICATION AND NTERVENTION:
IDENTIFICATION OF MENTAL DISORDERS SEEN IN
SCHOOLS
 Depression
 Attention problems
 Psychosis
 Anxiety disorders
 Eating disorders

17. INSTRUMENTS FOR IDENTIFICATION OF
PSYCHOSOCIAL PROBLEMS AND MENTAL
DISORDERS
 The children’s behavior questionnaires
 The AML behavior rating scale
 The classroom adjustment rating scale
 The health resource inventories
 The child behavior checklist
 The brief pupil evaluation inventory
 Draw a person test
 Sentence completion tests