Mental Health & Well-Being
Why is it important to look after mental health of students and staff?
Addressing student well-being and their mental health is critical to ensuring they are prepared and ready to learn. School leaders have a duty of care for both students and staff. Their well-being should be our top priority, since we know that it underpins cognitive development.
This page provides you with a brief introduction to mental health. Please refer to the section on WHAT is wellbeing? for a fuller exploration.
Mental health is a central part of being well. It is more than an absence of mental illness: it means that you can enjoy life, make the most of your potential and play a full part in your community. Having poor mental health means that you struggle with those things.
Common mental health problems include:
- Depression: more than feeling 'fed up' feeling depressed can range from feeling low to becoming suicidal. It can be triggered by a significant event (e.g. bereavement) or by a series of apparently insignificant incidents that lead to a downward spiral.
- Anxiety: feelings of unease or fear which can cause you not to sleep well, lack concentration, always needing reassurance, unable to relax. Physical symptoms can include feeling sick, loss of appetite or over-eating, headaches, high blood pressure, heart palpitations.
- Disorders, for example, obsessive compulsive disorder, eating disorders such as anorexia, and bipolar disorder.
- Stress: the body naturally reacts to stress when facing difficulties or threats. However, constant stress is unhealthy and can lead to symptoms such as worrying unnecessarily, headaches, irritability, difficulty making decisions, feeling overwhelmed.
Factors that influence mental health
Mental health is influenced by a complex mix of biological, environmental, and psychological factors. As a school leader consider each of the following:
- The environment within and outside school: to what extent do students feel valued and in control of their lives?
- Relationships: what are the significant relationships a student has and are these supportive to help them explore their identities and thrive?
- Individual factors to the students’ context: to what extent are young people helped in managing their thoughts and feelings, directing their actions, and navigating their relationships?
Rest days are vital to everyone's health and wellbeing. I particularly like "show we are human not robots!” Which one do you like the most?
Are you an 'Accidental Counsellor'?
"We become Accidental Counsellors when we respond to another person’s distress." Rocky Biasi provides a framework using the Psychology of Influence in his training programme.
Check out his website HERE.