Chapter 17: Wellbeing in Mental Health Care

Case Study: Finding ways to boost emotional resilience

Val is a secondary school teacher who is involved in her school’s pastoral care programme. She notices that a number of her students appear to be distracted in class or are missing lessons. Previous year groups have included students who have disclosed that they were being treated for depression, self-harm or eating disorders. Val would like to offer something different within the personal and social education classes that helps to boost the emotional resilience of her students. She is unsure, however, where to start, and who she might enlist to help her with this. Val has been motivated by seeing television adverts for the Time to Change programme, but, again, she is not sure how to use this sort of material, which seems to her to be aimed at adults.

How might you advise Val?

› Possible answer

The chapter gives a broad range of ideas for content that Val might draw upon. The Boing Boing organisation offers lots of relevant information and resources that can be readily deployed or adapted to the school context. The idea of prosocial places developed in Chapter 31 is also useful, and might help Val think about the overall school environment – both in physical and emotional/relational terms. The emotional climate is incredibly important, and wider efforts can be made to help develop nurturing and supportive relationships – between students and between students and teachers – and reflect upon these and their value. An aspect of this is constructive approaches to tackle anti-social behaviour, such as bullying. Supporting students to have a voice, and contribute to planned changes is also a useful resilience-building tool. Similarly, paying attention to students’ personal and career aspirations in a realistic way can help build confidence and resilience. Val, may also wish to draw upon her specialist teaching knowledge and ensure relevant lessons are organised with regard to progressive pedagogical approaches, such as participatory and appreciative teaching methods. There is also the possibility of integrating this learning to the local community, drawing upon mental health expertise from outside the school – including, perhaps, the involvement of mental health nurses.