Week 7: Mental Health October 17th, 2018

Head Above Water?

Next Week! Guest Speaker(s) are confirmed! Orals will begin soon, so do not forget that we will have an in-class workshop on October 31st. Are we all ready and excited?! Questions?

Your Papers!

Introduction Mental health is often viewed as an adult issue, yet the reality is that many children are affected by mental illness in Canada (as our readings suggest). Today’s discussion will focus on both the teacher’s and student’s perspective. Our in-class activity from last week spoke to this, as we saw that one of the categories that the provincial/federal governments and the Ministry of Education are interested in studying is the: “Children who have NOT experienced physical, emotional or psychological abuse vs Children who have experienced physical, emotional or psychological abuse”

The Context of Mental Health Mental illness: Issues that affect your mood, thinking and behavior. Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders and addictive behaviors, among others. Stress: The body’s way of responding to any kind of demand or threat. There are different types of stress, which is not the focus of today but we will touch on some in passing.

Academics and School Life Mental health issues can pose a huge problem for students in terms of: Academic success in school Social success in and out of school What is happening: Poor attendance Difficulties with academics Weak social integration Poor behavior regulation Attention and concentration issues in all classes

Self-Assessments Children who have these “dysfunctions” also reported viewing themselves as social outcasts (do not have friends in school, feel isolated). This leads to much higher dropout rates and lower overall academic achievement later on in life, not to mention other obstacles associated with these issues. We have discussed at length the importance of setting the foundation for children in elementary schools, and how the social studies classroom can be a place to foster just that.

Students with documented anxiety issues are: Statistically less likely to attend college Twice as likely to fail a grade or not finish high school as students who have never had the condition. Although not the same, anxiety manifests in many of the same ways as ADHD, and so students with anxiety disorders often experience problems concentrating, filtering out distracting external stimuli, and completing multi-step or complicated tasks.

Anxiety The most unfortunate reality of anxiety disorders is that they often prevent students from seeking or forming social connections. This can then in turn negatively affect student’s sense of belonging and thus impacts their overall perception of the schooling experience.

How have you managed these situations in your classroom? Potential Solutions? How have you managed these situations in your classroom?

Example and Strategy Example: I had a young girl in my class once, aged 7, who had such severe anxiety that when she tried to speak, she barely had the ability to get the words out at times. Strategy: Through discussion with her family and administration, I found out that she absolutely loves to carry around a beloved doll that she received at birth, and so this is her coping “tool” in class when we need to accomplish tasks.

ADHD (From Last Week’s Class Activity) Students with ADHD tend to have trouble mastering behaviors and practices demanded of them by our standardized public education system. Examples include, but are not limited to: The ability to sit still Working quietly Applying themselves to a task for extended periods of time

ADHD Continued Much like anxiety, ADHD can mean that students have problems concentrating, filtering out external stimuli, and seeing large tasks through to completion. These students can also struggle with time management and organization.

Pharmaceutical Spending in Canada Mental Health Pharmaceutical Spending in Canada OECD Health Data

Food For Thought… OECD Health Data

What Do You Think? What are your thoughts on the use of prescription medications to treat children with these life hindrances?

Internationally The Department for Education in the United Kingdom is working on developing a whole organizational approach to support mental health and character education. A joint report published in October 2017 from the Departments for Education and Health outline this approach with regards to staff training, raising awareness of mental health challenges that children face, and involvement of parents and families in student’s mental health. See the report uploaded to our course website under the appropriate heading!

The report includes many others, so please have a look! Reviews the school timetable for overall health concerns (rest time, physical activity, enough time in between classes for break). Creating an environment where people feel comfortable asking for help. Focus on staff mental health as well. The report includes many others, so please have a look!

Immigration and Education (Reading) Adapting to a new school environment is a major undertaking for immigrant children who arrive to any new country. Education is crucial for the sufficient psychosocial adjustment and cognitive growth of all children. Due to these circumstances, it is important that educators consider the needs, obstacles, and successful educational pathways for children.

Prevention Some schools may need to recognize that they are not just an institution, but are intended to help shape the lives of children and allow them to participate meaningfully in a social aspect of this environment. In some ways, this can overshadow the academic aspect of the schooling experience, yet often this might go a long way for the students.

Prevention Continued Athletics, clubs, and other social activities are important to expose children to so that all students have the opportunity to explore something that is of interest to them. Educators also need to consider that the evaluation aspect of schooling needs to be adapted to a more realistic framework (as we discussed last week).

Preventative Measures? CBC VIDEOS The absence of proper care in our current system is problematic, yet we are making progress and must continue to do so. An increase in unnecessary academic expectations may increase school-related stress and in turn negatively affect the academic performance and social integration of our children.

Cross-Curricular For Mental Health Math and baking (ratios conversion recipe) Science and data entry for a scatter plot (picking up food with tongs) Rap to learn organs in science, as we saw in class And many others...

What’s Next? Important Note: There are some mental health concerns that cannot be addressed directly through the measures presented in this lecture (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder).

References Any Disorder Among Children. National Institute of Mental Health. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Among Children. National Institute of Mental Health. Any Anxiety Disorder Among Children". National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved November 24, 2017.

References Youth Suicide Statistics. Jason Foundation. Retreived from: http://prp.jasonfoundation.com/facts/youth- suicide-statistics/ Youth Mental Health and Academic Achievement (PDF). National Center for Mental Health Checkups at Columbia University.

Done!