Girls suffer alone over mental health
Girls are more likely to “suffer in silence” when it comes to talking about mental health, teachers told delegates at the first annual Schools Mental Health Conference in Yorkshire.
GIRLS ARE more likely to “suffer in silence” when it comes to talking about mental health, teachers told delegates at the first annual Schools Mental Health Conference in Yorkshire.
Boys are usually able to get help earlier as they display their anger physically and teachers are able to spot the signs more easily, but girls are more likely to keep their feelings to themselves, they said.
Around 100 education and mental health leaders gathered at Leeds Beckett University to help shape the agenda on mental health in schools in an effort to battle “a growing crisis”.
The conference also marked the launch of the new Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools, a partnership between the university’s School of Education and social enterprise Minds Ahead.
The event was aimed at making sense of what fast-moving national policies mean for schools, providing attendees with practical methods proven to build student resilience.
Dean Johnstone, founder and CEO of Minds Ahead, said: “Boys are more likely to be on the Special Educational Needs (SEN) register, yet data by Public Health England shows that more girls’ mental wellbeing is... worse than boys’.
“Boys are more likely to have behavioural difficulties and show violence and aggression, for example throwing chairs, whereas girls are more likely to have an eating disorder or self-harm, which might not be so visible to a teacher. They are more likely to be suffering in silence.
“We are trying to understand what is happening out there and then looking at how we can support schools with practical solutions that don’t need to cost a lot, but can make a really big difference.”
The conference featured talks by high-profile speakers, including the regional NHS England Manager for children and young people’s emotional health and wellbeing. It also showcased some of the “impressive” work already being done by schools in Yorkshire. Innovative projects that the new centre has developed were also highlighted, including teacher training and plans to create a mental health “framework” for schools to follow. Key to the centre’s offering will be the opportunity to apply for a School Mental Health Quality Mark.
Mr Johnstone said: “We are looking at the evidence of what is likely to make a difference in schools and putting that in one place so schools can access it easily.
“Even if school are currently doing things around mental health, they are doing it with no real structure, because there is no structure to tap into. An assistant head in mental health told me she had to start by Googling what to do – that’s not a way to run a mental health support service given the issues we are facing in this country.”
The new centre at the university will be overseen by a new professor, Jonathan Glazzard, who will take up his post this month.
Last week the government pledged £200,000 to back up its proposal to provide every secondary school with a member of staff trained in mental health first aid by 2020. The programme will see the funding used to train 3,000 teachers and teaching assistants over the next three years. They will receive practical advice on how to deal with issues such as depression and anxiety, suicide and self-harm.
An assistant head in mental health told me she had to start by Googling. Dean Johnstone, founder and CEO of Minds Ahead.