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Well-being

How can we best support student mental well-being?

by: Jonathan Bluteau

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Anxiety and depression are among the most common mental health issues experienced by young people today. Experts overwhelmingly agree that daily stress management and physical activity can reduce these issues, including for students with autism, ADHD, eating and psychotic disorders, and schizophrenia. This combination of coping skills and exercise can be a reliable alternative to the exclusive use of antidepressants and other medications, and should be included in the mental health services offered to students in schools.

Maintaining positive mental health can prevent the onset of anxiety and depression While there’s no single cause linked to anxiety and depression, educators can focus on promoting the following factors of positive youth mental health that we know will strengthen students’ coping skills when faced with stressful situations:

  • Positive self-esteem
  • Lifestyles that include physical activity, healthy eating habits and quality sleep
  • Harmonious family relations • Supportive school environments that are conducive to learning
  • Positive student-teacher relations

Developing a sense of self-efficacy maintains positive mental health

The most crucial component for students to maintain mental wellness is their perceived ability to accomplish challenging goals and tasks. This sense of self-efficacy goes hand-in-hand with self-regulation, which is our ability to deal with and recover from stressful situations using the following steps:

  1. Identifying undesirable feelings, whether they be physical, mental and/or emotional
  2. Identifying the root cause of the stress
  3. Determining what changes can be made to prevent or reduce the stressors
  4. Proposing strategies to cope or adapt to the stressful situation or issue
  5. Monitoring improvements in the situation

When a young person learns to reframe their thoughts in a more positive light, their actions and emotions will follow suit. For students facing more severe mental health issues, providing them with techniques to heighten their own sense of accomplishment and ability to cope with stressful situations is a more comprehensive approach than drug-based treatments alone. Therefore, providing more well-rounded mental health and wellness support in schools will benefit students well beyond adolescence into adulthood.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RESOURCES

REFERENCES

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Alloy, L. B. and Abramson, L. Y. (2007). The adolescent surge in depression and emergence of gender differences: A biocognitive vulnerability-stress model in developmental context. In D. Romer, E. F. Walker (eds.), Adolescent psychopathology and the developing brain: Integrating brain and prevention science (pp. 284-312). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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Blanchet, L., Laurendeau, M. C., Paul D. and Saucier, J. F. (1993). La prévention et la promotion en santé mentale : Préparer l’avenir. Boucherville: Gaëtan Morin.

Barrett, P. M., Farrell, L. J., Ollendick, T. H. and Dadds, M. (2006). Long-term outcomes of an Australian universal prevention trial of anxiety and depression symptoms in children and youth: An evaluation of the Friends program. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 35(3), 403-411.

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Barret, P. M. and Turner, C. M. (2004). Prevention of childhood anxiety and depression. In P. M. Barrett, T. H. Ollendick (eds.). Handbook of interventions that work with children and adolescents: Prevention and treatment (pp. 429-474). Chichester, West Sussex, England: John Wiley.

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Krueger, R. F. and DeYong, C. G. (2016). The RDoC initiative and the structure of psychopathology. Psychophysiology, 53(3), 351-354.

Krueger, R. F. and Eaton, N. R. (2015). Transdiagnostic factors of mental disorders. World Psychiatry, 14, 27-29.

Kutcher, S. and Wei, Y. (2012). Mental health and the school environment: Secondary schools, promotions and pathways to care. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 25(4), 311-316.

Leclerc, C., Lesage, A. and Ricard, N. (1997). Pertinence du paradigme stress-coping pour l’élaboration d’un modèle de la gestion du stress des personnes atteintes de schizophrénie. Santé mentale au Québec, 22 (2), 68-91.

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Shanker, S. G. (2012). Calm, Alert and Learning: Classroom Strategies for Self-Regulation.  Toronto: Pearson.

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Meet the Expert(s)

Jonathan Bluteau

Jonathan Bluteau

Jonathan Bluteau est psychoéducateur et professeur au Département d'éducation et de formation spécialisées de la Faculté des Sciences de l’éducation à l’Université du Québec à Montréal. Ses travaux portent sur la conception et l'évaluation de programmes d'intervention auprès des jeunes en difficulté d'adaptation. Il s’intéresse notamment à l'influence du stress sur la santé mentale et les troubles d'adaptation. 

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