Many young people were suffering with mental health concerns long before the pandemic, but the disruption to young people’s lives over the past two years has left even more young people in need of support. Evidence has shown that young people have suffered greatly since the onset of the pandemic, and the surge in demand for mental health care in young people has been unprecedented.
As a result, mental health provision for young people in the UK is being stretched. A 2019 study by the Education Policy Institute found that 26% of referrals to specialist young people’s mental health services were rejected. In the absence of formal support, empowering young people to advocate for their own mental health could arguably be seen as crucial in addressing this issue.
Accessing the right support
School-based counselling can be an effective solution to young people’s mental health crises. According to research from The Children’s Society, more than two thirds of young people want to access mental health support without going through their GP. The government has already gone some way to addressing this with the proposed appointment of one trained mental health professional in all eligible schools by 2025.
However, for many young people, accessing the services on offer can rely on the individuals themselves proactively seeking help. In our roundtable discussion, Dr Sue Roffey, author, academic, psychologist, social activist and TEDx speaker, noted that empowerment of young people was critical to the success of this model:
“When young people are empowered they create change in their lives in the world around them. They feel included, and have a greater sense of connection with their community. It’s about developing schools, youth groups, and institutions and a society which has that sort of cultural climate for change”.
Building a climate for change in schools
To make inroads into how schools approach the mental health concerns of young people, there needs to be the right climate for change. This means putting mental health and wellbeing at the heart of the curriculum as part of a ‘whole school approach’. This means listening to the voices of everyone in the school community, including young people, parents, carers, and school staff.
Read our blog here for more information about the whole school approach and mental health.
As part of this, young people are empowered to participate in maintaining and improving their own mental health. This sets the foundation not only for academic success, but also to support self-esteem, personal resilience and self-confidence, with increased ability to sustain good mental health throughout life.
According to the Anna Freud centre for children and families, “children and young people need to be provided with meaningful opportunities to share their experiences, views and hopes about their school. Pupils need to know that it is safe and that it is important for them to express their views on what happens at school. They need to know that what they say is valued and will be listened to and considered”.
Practical ideas for empowerment
Young people can offer unique perspectives on their school’s approach to mental health. Involving them in decision-making can create meaningful change and better academic outcomes, as well as facilitating a sense of empowerment and inclusion.
The Anna Freud centre suggests seven practical ideas for schools to foster the empowerment of their young people:
- Create regular opportunities for children and young people to share their views with each other and school staff.
- Vary the ways in which pupils can participate; for example through school councils, assemblies, anonymous suggestion boxes or a ‘family group’ system where the school is divided into manageable groups which meet each week and discuss a range of themes and issues. Decisions and comments can then be passed onto the school council, staff, senior management team or head teacher
- Consider how to ensure that all children and young people are being heard, across each age group. Make sure that it isn’t only school council members who get their voices heard.
- Make sure consultation is varied and has clear, published actions, otherwise there is a danger of pupils feeling that school staff are just going through the motions.
- Make sure the values and ethos of the school reflect the commitment to pupil voice. Is it included in school statements, school action planning, the website, classrooms and any other publications that talk about whole-school values?
- Embed children and young people’s participation into all aspects of school life rather than just seeing it as an add-on. Ask pupils the best way to promote participation and ensure their voices are heard within the school and wider community. They will have great ideas. Trust them!
- Review regularly; something that worked once might not be working now. For example, involve pupils in reviewing the anti-bullying policy. Does it work? What needs to change?
Not one-size fits all
Schools with a strong commitment to pupil voice have reported many positive outcomes. These include a reduction in exclusions, better behaviour, better relationships across the whole-school community, and improving attainment and attendance.
However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to mental health support in schools, and any strategies need to be tailored to the young people they are designed to help. By empowering pupils to shape the support on offer, pupils are more likely to engage with and benefit from the services on offer.
mdeducational Foundation places qualified mental health professionals into secondary schools, supporting young people through tailored intervention strategies designed to give them the tools they need to thrive. If you’re interested in working with us to support your young people in their wellbeing, contact us today.
