Mind Matters „MindMatters“ – a resource for school mental health promotion Prof. Dr. Peter Paulus Center for Applied Sciences of Health (CASH) Leuphana University of Lüneburg Paris, March 9th, 2010 1

Wellbeing of children and young people in Germany 2

KiGGS - The German Health Survey for Children and Adolescents; Mental health of children and young people in Germany results of the KIGGS study 2006 KiGGS - The German Health Survey for Children and Adolescents; (Robert Koch Institute, Berlin) Mental health problems: Approx. 22% of children and adolescents show signs of mental health problems About 10% of all children and adolescents achieve scores in an abnormal range Specific disorders: Anxiety 7.6 % Conduct disorders 10 % Depression 5.4 % Risk factors: Adverse family climate with many conflicts and low economic status : 4-fold increase in probability of mental health problems Prevention and promotion: Strengthening individual, family and social resources of children and adolescents are the key objectives 3

Evidence base – School setting „Evidence from systematic reviews and interventions trials on mental health promotion in schools highlights that comprehensive programmes that target multiple health outcomes in the context of co-ordinated whole school approaches are the most consistently effective approach“ (S. 13) (Jané-Llopis, Barry, Hosman & Patel 2005) 4

Setting based approach of school health promotion Starting in 1992 the setting based approach of the Health Promoting School was developed, evaluated and implemented in Germany Need of a programm for mental health promotion that fits in such an approach MindMatters, an Australian resource was at that time the best developed, evaluated, implemented and disseminated programm to my knowledge 5

Effective intervention in schools: MindMatters MindMatters (1998- ) is an Australian resource that provides a guided, structured strategy to promote young people’s mental health and well-being through all dimensions of the school environment. MindMatters, in its whole school development, takes an organizational approach focusing on the normal operations of the school so that they are more supportive of student mental health MindMatters creates a sense of ownership and control of mental health promotion within the school setting through collaboration and horizontal linking with the education sector 6

The setting approach of MindMatters Linking MM with the curriculum Establishing a health promoting culture of the organization Teaching and Learning School Culture and Environment Linking, school , families and services Partnership and Services 7

Success factors of school based mental health promotion Good theory background Subject and setting based Applied cross intervention sectors Multiple component intervention Participation and empowerment orientation Ressource, competence and deficit orientation Culturally adapted Structured (manuals, curricula) Variable teaching Trained trainers, supporting structures Longer duration of intervention (at least 9 month) Multimode evaluation Partners from public and private sectors, not just the health sector Setting approach of the health promoting school as success model also for MindMatters 8

Shift in perspective MindMatters: Programm for mental health promotion in the tradition of the health promoting school Mental health promotion as a catalyst to improve education in schools Focus on education and quality of schools and effective school MindMatters: To make a good school with mental health 9

Mit psychischer Gesundheit gute Schule machen Eine Ressource für die Sekundarstufe I International anerkanntes, hoch bewertetes Programm zur Förderung der psychischen Gesundheit an Sekundarschulen Von drei australischen Universitäten in Kooperation mit dem australischen Gesundheitsministerium entwickelt und evaluiert Hoher Verbreitungsgrad in Australien: z.B. über 7000 Lehrerfortbildungen, 88% der in Australien Befragten teilten mit, daß sich ihre Schule schon dazu entschlossen hatte, MM zu nutzen oder dies in der Zukunft zu tun. Ständige Weiterentwicklung: z.B. Programm für RisikoschülerInnen oder für Lehrkräfte 10

The starter package SchoolMatters – Mit psychischer Gesundheit gute Schule machen Freunde finden behalten und dazugehören – Förderung von Re-silienz in der Schule (5. - 6- Klasse) Mit Stress umgehen – im Gleichgewicht blei-ben – Förderung von Resilienz in der Schu-le (7. - 10. Klasse) Mobbing? Nicht in unserer Schule – Prävention und Handlungsstrategien (5. - 8. Klasse) 11

The other brochures Umgang mit Verlust und Trauer in der Schule Die Schule öffnen und vom Umfeld profitieren Umgang mit Verlust und Trauer in der Schule (5. – 10. Klasse) Leitfaden zur Prävention von Selbstverletzungen und Suizid in der Schule Psychische Störungen in der Schule verstehen lernen (7. – 10. Klasse) 12

Dissemination and implementation The package (8 brochures) is for free for every secondary school in Germany Trainers support schools in implementation Train the trainer programs are free for school psychologists etc. CASH at Leuphana is responsible for quality assurance and development Funders: Health insurance and Accident insurance 13

International Alliance for Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Schools Join free, online at www.intercamhs.org and take part in the discussion about defining ‘promoting mental health in schools” 14

Thank you very much for your attention www.mindmatters-schule.de „There is no health without mental health“ „Mental health supports education“ Thank you very much for your attention paulus@leuphana.de www.mindmatters-schule.de 15