Aida AliuParticipation Development Worker

CAMHS/Barnardo’s

Mental Health in SchoolsExercise as a means to Good Mental Health

Mental health – an essential part of children's overall health

It has a complex interactive relationship with their physical health and their ability to succeed in school, at work and in society. Both physical and mental health affect how we think, feel and act on the inside and outside.

Good Mental Health is: “A positive sense of well-being which enables an individual to be able to function in society and meet the demands of everyday life.People in good mental health have the ability to recover effectively from illness, change or misfortune.”

Mental health problem –

“The term “mental healthproblems” is used to describelevels of emotional, psychologicalor psychiatric distress that present significant challenges for the young person, their families and those who support them. This may cover a range of problems from relatively mild emotional disorders such as anxiety (which can become very serious) and mild depression to serious psychiatric disorders (e.g. psychosis).”

What can cause young people to be mentally unwell?

Signs of a young person being emotionally (mentally) unwell:

Educating about mental health has the capacity to achieve a number of outcomes including:

•Promote cognitive and social skills that contribute to positive mental health (protective factors). •Increase students’ awareness and understanding of mental health and its relevance to them. •Decrease the stigma associated with mental health and mental illness.

There are three basic levels of support for children and young people – universal, targeted and specialist services. Promoting students’ mental health and emotional wellbeing has been argued to support educational engagement, improve behaviour and attendance and help raise attainment.

Research has also shown that an effective promotion of positive mental health and emotional wellbeing is linked to a holistic, multi-layered system of support for students. This could include:

•health awareness events (stop smoking initiatives, anti-bullying campaigns, physical exercise) •group work (on, for example, anger management, relationship violence) •information about both college and external sources of support (in college diaries for instance) •a range of places to spend free time (quiet spaces, student cafés, student common rooms, gym space).

Dr Kenneth R Fox*, Department of Exercise and Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Priory House, Woodlands Rd, Bristol, UK, Accepted: 7 May 1999

The 1995 Health Survey for England stated that up to 20% of children will suffer mild and 7–10% moderate to severe mental health problems that hinder normal development

Regular mild to moderate exercise can improve your life by:

•Easing stress and anxiety. A twenty-minute bike ride won’t sweep away life’s troubles, but exercising regularly helps you take charge of anxiety and reduce stress. Aerobic exercise releases hormones that relieve stress and promote a sense of well-being.

•Lifting your mood. Exercise can treat mild to moderate depression as effectively as antidepressant medication. Exercise also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals in your brain that energizes your spirits and makes you feel good.

• Sharpening brainpower. The same endorphins that make you feel better also help you concentrate and feel mentally sharp for tasks at hand. Exercise also stimulates the growth of new brain cells and helps prevent age-related decline.

• Improving self-esteem. Regular activity is an investment in your mind, body, and soul. When it becomes habit, it can foster your sense of self-worth and make you feel strong and powerful.

• Boosting energy.  Increasing your heart rate several times a week will give you more get-up-and-go. Start off with just a few minutes of exercise a day, and increase your workout as you feel more energized.

Do

• Ask caring questions• Empathize• Be patient, kind and encouraging• Restate what the person says to make sure you understand• Reassure the person that they can feel better with treatment and time

Don't

• Judge, criticize or trivialize a person's feelings• Act frustrated• Use a patronizing tone of voice• Be overprotective• Say simplistic things like "cheer up" or 'smile, it's not that bad"

Mental Health First Aid teaches people how to respond to psychological emergencies. Here are some tips for talking to someone in crisis:

Quiz

Helpful Websites and materials

Aida Aliu

Participation Development Officer

SEPT/Barnardo’s

aida.aliu@sept.nhs.uk

Telephone: 01268 247125