Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being at School: Principles and Challenges

There is increasing recognition that schools need to go beyond narrow sectoral goals such as academic achievement and contribute more actively towards the health and well-being of children and young people. The COVID-19 experience has underlined the need to reimagine education in order to address the complex challenges being faced by children and young people today. These include amongst others, mental health issues, bullying and violence, poverty and social inequality; hate crime, intolerance and cyberbullying, conflict and war, migration and forced displacement. These challenges highlight the need for a meaningful, balanced and caring education which addresses the social, emotional and mental health needs of children and young people. Besides supporting children and young people experiencing mental health issues, schools have a crucial role in preventing mental health issues before their onset at critical periods in children's and young people's development, and in actively promoting mental health for all school children. This chapter presents the key principles underpinning a whole school approach to mental health and well-being and outlines the major challenges involved in implementing such an approach and how these may be addressed.