Mental Health and Well Mental Health and Well Being in schoolsBeing in schools

PMHW Conference PMHW Conference BlackpoolBlackpoolNov 2011Nov 2011

Peer Education ApproachPeer Education Approach

Fiona Findlay Fiona Findlay

PMHW PMHW

Dumfries Dumfries

Bonny ScotlandBonny Scotland

• Here is DumfriesHere is Dumfries

ChronologyChronology

• Feb 06 Lockerbie AcademyFeb 06 Lockerbie Academy• Feb 06 Moffat AcademyFeb 06 Moffat Academy• May 07 Langholm AcademyMay 07 Langholm Academy• Sept 10 Troqueer PrimarySept 10 Troqueer Primary• Oct 10 Holywood PrimaryOct 10 Holywood Primary• Sept 11 Cargenbridge PrimarySept 11 Cargenbridge Primary

Scottish policyScottish policy

• Children and Young people Mental Children and Young people Mental Health: A Framework for Promotion Health: A Framework for Promotion Prevention and Care 2005.Prevention and Care 2005.

• Towards a mentally Flourishing Towards a mentally Flourishing Scotland 2009.Scotland 2009.

• Curriculum for Excellence 2010.Curriculum for Excellence 2010.

• Getting It Right For Every Child 2008.Getting It Right For Every Child 2008.

Aims and ObjectivesAims and Objectives

• Promote Mental Health Awareness in Promote Mental Health Awareness in Children of Primary School age.Children of Primary School age.

• Facilitate the School in delivering Mental Facilitate the School in delivering Mental Health Training.Health Training.

• Give the children some coping skills when Give the children some coping skills when faced with emotionally challenging faced with emotionally challenging circumstances.circumstances.

• Promote the children's ownership of their Promote the children's ownership of their own mental health.own mental health.

• Encourage the children to share this Encourage the children to share this awareness among their peers. awareness among their peers.

FormatFormat

• Speak to Head teacher about Speak to Head teacher about proposed Mental Health Training for proposed Mental Health Training for older children proposing that the older children proposing that the pupils cascade it to their younger pupils cascade it to their younger peers.peers.

• In collaboration with school arrange In collaboration with school arrange two one hour long teaching sessions. two one hour long teaching sessions.

• Be involved in seeing what the Be involved in seeing what the children have achieved.children have achieved.

What do we deliver to kids What do we deliver to kids in Primary school?in Primary school?

• Mental health Definition.Mental health Definition.

• CBT Link between thoughts feelings CBT Link between thoughts feelings and behaviour.and behaviour.

• Good Physical health and link to good Good Physical health and link to good Mental health.Mental health.

• Thinking about the way you think.Thinking about the way you think.

• Worries – coping.Worries – coping.

• What makes you happy.What makes you happy.

WorriesWorries

• A word about worries. A word about worries.

• A wee word to kids about family A wee word to kids about family events that are difficult.events that are difficult.

Health and Well Health and Well BeingBeing

What does mental What does mental Health Mean?Health Mean?

Thinking about thinkingThinking about thinking

Feelings

Behaviour

Thoughts

Good Physical healthGood Physical health

• Good Physical health links to good Good Physical health links to good Mental health.Mental health.

• Good SleepGood Sleep

• Good DietGood Diet

• ExerciseExercise

FEELING DOWN ?FEELING DOWN ?

• Think PositiveThink Positive

I CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!I CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!

WorriesWorries

• Helping HandHelping Hand

What Makes you Happy?What Makes you Happy?

Health and Well Health and Well BeingBeing

Evaluation FormEvaluation Form

• Did you enjoy the PresentationDid you enjoy the Presentation

• Did you find presentation interesting?Did you find presentation interesting?

• Did you find presentation helped your Did you find presentation helped your understanding of Health and Well understanding of Health and Well Being?Being?

• Comments'Comments'

ENJOYENJOY

0

5

10

15

20

OUT OF 35 PUPILS

INTERESTINGINTERESTING

0

5

10

15

20

OUT OF 35 PUPILS

UNDERSTANDINGUNDERSTANDING

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

OUT OF 35 PUPILS

What did the kids do?What did the kids do?

• Slide showSlide show

• Role play Role play

• PostersPosters

• Short filmShort film

What is mental health?What is mental health?

FeelingsFeelings

There are lots of different types of feelings There are lots of different types of feelings like listed below. like listed below.

HappyHappy

Sad ScaredSad Scared

Angry SurprisedAngry Surprised

Guess? … the feelingsGuess? … the feelings

Can you guess what this boy feels Can you guess what this boy feels like by looking at this picture of his like by looking at this picture of his face?face?

Guess? … the feelings Guess? … the feelings

Look carefully and guess this boys Look carefully and guess this boys feelings by looking below. feelings by looking below.

Guess? … The feelingsGuess? … The feelings

• Can you Guess this boys feeling’s as Can you Guess this boys feeling’s as shown below in this picture.shown below in this picture.

Guess? … The feelingsGuess? … The feelings

• This one may be very tricky so look This one may be very tricky so look Very carefully try not to get caught Very carefully try not to get caught outout

Comments from ChildrenComments from Children

• ‘‘we know that good sleep, diet and exercise is we know that good sleep, diet and exercise is linked to good mental health’linked to good mental health’

• Behaviour effects your feelings, emotions and Behaviour effects your feelings, emotions and thoughts’thoughts’

• We know that a worry should be shared with an We know that a worry should be shared with an adult. Younger pupils now know that too’adult. Younger pupils now know that too’

• Before working with Mrs Findlay we didn’t know Before working with Mrs Findlay we didn’t know anything about mental health’anything about mental health’

• ‘‘I didn’t know we that we all had mental health’I didn’t know we that we all had mental health’

Comments from the Head Comments from the Head TeacherTeacher

• ‘‘Pupils are more emotionally aware.Pupils are more emotionally aware.

• They understand their behaviour reactions and how They understand their behaviour reactions and how to defuse it better’to defuse it better’

• ‘‘We will build the work Mrs Finlay has developed We will build the work Mrs Finlay has developed into a Mental Health programme for the whole into a Mental Health programme for the whole school.school.

• Our primary 7 pupils led a successful Mental health Our primary 7 pupils led a successful Mental health afternoon for our pupils. They have been invited to afternoon for our pupils. They have been invited to deliver their workshop at a local cluster primary deliver their workshop at a local cluster primary school.’school.’

• Miss Dale – head teacher Holywood schoolMiss Dale – head teacher Holywood school

Holywood School evaluationHolywood School evaluation

Circle three main features affecting Circle three main features affecting mental healthmental health - decisions, behaviour, moods, - decisions, behaviour, moods, thoughts, anger, communication, feelings, actions, ideasthoughts, anger, communication, feelings, actions, ideas

What would you do with a worry?What would you do with a worry?

What did p7 do well?What did p7 do well?

What didn’t work or was confusing?What didn’t work or was confusing?

Ideas for next timeIdeas for next time

Holywood Evaluation the Holywood Evaluation the resultsresults• 80% 80% Correct Responses to main features of Mental healthCorrect Responses to main features of Mental health

• 100% 100% Knew what to do with a worryKnew what to do with a worry

What P7 did well – Sent clear message on videoWhat P7 did well – Sent clear message on video Good discussionGood discussion P1 – P4 involvedP1 – P4 involved Activities told us how Mental health WorkedActivities told us how Mental health Worked Made it funMade it fun

What was confusing – Sometimes could not hear voices on What was confusing – Sometimes could not hear voices on videovideo

we were not told if we were rightwe were not told if we were right I thought it all worked outI thought it all worked out

What would we do What would we do differently?differently?

• Not so long talking - more activitiesNot so long talking - more activities

• Change the evaluation form – more Change the evaluation form – more specificspecific

• Explore involving different disciplines Explore involving different disciplines from Health e.g. School Nursesfrom Health e.g. School Nurses

• Explore involving partner agenciesExplore involving partner agencies

Plans for the futurePlans for the future

• St Andrew’s Primary St Andrew’s Primary • Roll out to other SchoolsRoll out to other Schools• Pursue other Secondary Schools in Pursue other Secondary Schools in

the Areathe Area• More training to Universal Services in More training to Universal Services in

regard to Mental Health Awarenessregard to Mental Health Awareness• Teach the teachers about mental Teach the teachers about mental

health Awareness health Awareness