Page 263 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Contemporary European Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 263
mental health as a risk factor for esl: diagnostics, prevention, intervention
This is particularly true of students with a low SES (Mifsud & Rapee, 2005).
Another advantage of such programmes is that due to group-based treat-
ment and the fact that the entire group within a class is covered there is
no stigmatisation of students who are in need of help. For example, some
of the programmes shown to have positive effects on internalising prob-
lems are: Coping with Stress Programme, Penn Prevention Programme,
Queensland Early Intervention and Prevention of Anxiety Project (see the
review in Greenberg, Domitrovich, & Bumbarger, 2000).
Conclusions
Mental health problems play a significant role in ESL and often, especial-
ly in the case of internalisation problems, go neglected. The need to clear-
ly establish a relationship between mental health (especially anxiety) and
ESL is particularly relevant since the research shows that anxiety levels are
on the increase in school-aged populations (Kozina, 2014; Twenge, 2000).
The underlying mechanisms of mental health problems associated with
low achievement are related to lower connectedness to school, negative at-
titudes to school and peer rejection (in the case of disruptive behaviour
disorders), lower engagement through impaired mastery beliefs and neg-
ative emotionality (as in the case of depression) and difficulties in cogni-
tive functioning through reduced memory functions and the impact of
worries on the cognitive system (as in the case of anxiety). In the preven-
tion and intervention process, school plays a crucial role by early recogni-
tion of mental health problems (e.g. withdrawn behaviour, avoidance, per-
fectionism, somatisations, constant worrying …) and introducing effective
programmes on the universal, selective and individual levels. Schools are
well positioned to serve a role in providing accessible, community-sensi-
ble mental health services for children. Although most children in need of
a mental health service do not receive it, those that do identify school as a
primary source of help (DeSocio & Hootman, 2004).
References
Anić, N. (2009). Ocena študentov z učnimi težavami [Evaluation of students
with learning difficulties]. In N. Anić (Ed.), Prispevki iz vedenjsko kogni-
tivne terapije – zbornik 1 (pp. 257–266). Ljubljana: Društvo za vedenjsko
in kognitivno terapijo Slovenije in Svetovalni center za otroke, mladost-
nike in starše.
263
This is particularly true of students with a low SES (Mifsud & Rapee, 2005).
Another advantage of such programmes is that due to group-based treat-
ment and the fact that the entire group within a class is covered there is
no stigmatisation of students who are in need of help. For example, some
of the programmes shown to have positive effects on internalising prob-
lems are: Coping with Stress Programme, Penn Prevention Programme,
Queensland Early Intervention and Prevention of Anxiety Project (see the
review in Greenberg, Domitrovich, & Bumbarger, 2000).
Conclusions
Mental health problems play a significant role in ESL and often, especial-
ly in the case of internalisation problems, go neglected. The need to clear-
ly establish a relationship between mental health (especially anxiety) and
ESL is particularly relevant since the research shows that anxiety levels are
on the increase in school-aged populations (Kozina, 2014; Twenge, 2000).
The underlying mechanisms of mental health problems associated with
low achievement are related to lower connectedness to school, negative at-
titudes to school and peer rejection (in the case of disruptive behaviour
disorders), lower engagement through impaired mastery beliefs and neg-
ative emotionality (as in the case of depression) and difficulties in cogni-
tive functioning through reduced memory functions and the impact of
worries on the cognitive system (as in the case of anxiety). In the preven-
tion and intervention process, school plays a crucial role by early recogni-
tion of mental health problems (e.g. withdrawn behaviour, avoidance, per-
fectionism, somatisations, constant worrying …) and introducing effective
programmes on the universal, selective and individual levels. Schools are
well positioned to serve a role in providing accessible, community-sensi-
ble mental health services for children. Although most children in need of
a mental health service do not receive it, those that do identify school as a
primary source of help (DeSocio & Hootman, 2004).
References
Anić, N. (2009). Ocena študentov z učnimi težavami [Evaluation of students
with learning difficulties]. In N. Anić (Ed.), Prispevki iz vedenjsko kogni-
tivne terapije – zbornik 1 (pp. 257–266). Ljubljana: Društvo za vedenjsko
in kognitivno terapijo Slovenije in Svetovalni center za otroke, mladost-
nike in starše.
263
