It's not an easy topic to address, as in our audience we have those have suffered or are suffering here, and also those who have no experience whatsoever of the most common things we see (anxiety and depressive disorders). There are also cultural and social restrictions on how we walk about mental health, so I spoke to our grade 12 students (where pressure is highest) and tried to open up a space for meaningful discussion. After this assembly I had a few students thank me for speaking about it, and naming my own experiences with depression. They also noted:
- Comments like 'They should just get on with it' or 'They don't know how lucky they are' or 'It's just all in the mind' are still heard.
- In some cultures, mental health is not something that can be talked about
- Most people find it very difficult to know how to talk to those suffering, and often say unhelpful things, even when their intentions are good.
As we are moving to a better understanding of mental health, it's not surprising that these attitudes remain (I still remember a really caring Headteacher telling me, two decades ago that 'Our kids don't have problems') but when we asked the students what we can do, we were delighted with their reply - 'let us help you'. The students worked with our Heads of Grade to run further sessions for students, and all HS staff based on their own experiences. It's hard not be full of admiration here; these are hard things to talk about at the best of times, never mind to 1000 peers and 100 teachers!
Feedback was very positive, and while it's hard to measure the impact of these things, I think the advice the students offered should be heard by all parents and teachers. So please look at these two short videos; they may help you understand how to react, and how to counsel children/students at some point.
1. Thoughts from a student about suffering from mental health problems
2. What to say to someone struggling with mental health issues
No comments:
Post a Comment