[...]... Introduction 7 The prevalence of mental health problems Mental health problems are relatively common in children and adolescents, although severe mental illness is rare It has been suggested that 20 per cent of children display some sign of poor mental health and a proportion of these may require professional help for mental health problems at some time (Department of Health, 1995; Mental Health Foundation, 1999)... aimed at preventing mental health problems; raise teachers’ awareness of the way in which liaison between Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and schools can be improved and how both services can work together to address the mental health needs of children and young people It is envisaged that the handbook will be a useful guide for practising teachers to dip into when mental health difficulties... There is an urgent need for greater awareness and greater understanding of children’s mental health problems amongst teachers and a need for professional development in this area The Mental Health Foundation (1999) supports this view and highlights a number of components of effective practice in schools for ensuring early intervention for children at risk of developing mental health problems, including:... interagency collaboration, particularly with health training for staff in schools on mental health issues a flexible approach, involving consultation with mental health professionals, as well as direct intervention via the educational psychology service Intervention with pupils with mental health problems and their families Children and young people with less severe mental health problems are often not referred... (1982) Schools and Disruptive Pupils London: Longman Goleman, D (1996) Emotional Intelligence London: Bloomsbury Greenhalgh, P (1994) Emotional Growth and Learning London: Routledge Mental Health Foundation (1999) The Big Picture: Promoting Children and Young People’s Mental Health London: Mental Health Foundation Mind (1997) The Bird and the Word: Materials for Mental Health Education in Secondary Schools. .. on mental health services and the prevention of mental health problems in children In the penultimate chapter information about Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services is provided, together with a discussion of some of the issues that Preface xi may arise in collaboration between teachers and mental health professionals The final chapter outlines a whole-school approach to the promotion of mental. .. environmental levels There is also considerable correlation between these influences and later mental health difficulties, poor education outcomes and antisocial behaviour These influences, therefore, are the concern of teachers, as well as health professionals, and by enhancing positive influences on mental health in schools, educational achievement, as well as emotional well-being, can be promoted Mental. .. adolescents in schools and in the community are forced to deal with these problems themselves In addition, the promotion of children’s mental health needs to be carried out in a range of settings, including schools, since school and educational factors can impact on children’s emotional development and well-being (Mental Health Foundation, 1999) The Department of Health (1995) emphasised the need for all... improve children’s mental health This handbook spans the boundary between mental health and education In doing so, it is hoped that it will provide the information and guidance teachers need to help pupils with mental health problems They must also be able to recognise, however, the limits of what they can achieve alone, as well as the indications that children should be referred for more specialist... The need for a book that bridges the divide between mental health and education is long overdue In writing the book, we set out to: • • • • raise teachers’ awareness of the importance of mental health in children and adolescents, how this may impact on their learning potential, and the link between mental health and special educational needs; increase teachers’ knowledge of the range of mental health . Co-ordinator’s Handbook (Routledge, 1995). Mental Health Handbook for Schools Mary Atkinson and Garry Hornby London and New York Mental Health Handbook for Schools First. IV Promoting mental health and services for children 251 20 Mental health services for children and adolescents 253 21 Promoting mental health in schools 263 Index