the mental health and wellbeing of scotland’s boys
TRANSCRIPT
The Mental Health and Wellbeing of Scotland’s Boys – Providing support, removing stigma, enhancing
emotional literacy
Monday 03 June 2019
Edinburgh
www.policyhubscotland.co.uk @policyhubscot
Join the conversation on twitter
#boysmentalhealth
Chair’s welcome and introduction
Graham Goulden
DirectorCultivating Minds UK
www.policyhubscotland.co.uk @policyhubscot
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THE ‘DEMISE OF GUYS’
“Boys & Men are flaming out”
• ACADEMICALLY• IN RELATIONSHIPS• SEXUALLY
Laura SharpeEducation and Young People’s
Manager, See Me Scotland
www.policyhubscotland.co.uk @policyhubscot
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Laura’s presentation should be available for download via
the link below…
https://prezi.com/8eqgvei0tqeg/?utm_campaign=share&
utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share
www.policyhubscotland.co.uk @policyhubscot
Katie FergusonDirector
respectme
www.policyhubscotland.co.uk @policyhubscot
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15
Promoting respect, addressing
bullying The mental health and wellbeing of Scotland’s boys
June 2019
Katie Ferguson (respectme), Rachel Young & Nathan Shevlin (Holy Cross High School)
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Bullying and mental health
• Cause or consequence?
• Main issues:
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Psychotic conditions
• Self-harm and suicide
• Long term impact
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Risk and protective factors
All generalisations are limited by individuals, age, culture and shifting norms
• Traditionally bullying has been seen as physical
• Empathy
• Risk-taking behaviour
• Social media platforms more attractive to girls
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What do we know about bullying and boys? • How frequently?
• Lit suggests boys are more likely to bully others than girls
• Lit suggests boys are also slightly more likely to be bullied than girls
• Norms & social desirability – is it more acceptable for boys to admit that they
bully others? Barriers for boys in relation to reporting?
• What type of bullying?
• Lit suggests boys engage in more physical bullying, while girls engage in social
behaviours like ignoring, excluding, spreading rumours and online bullying
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• What is the impact?
• Girls were more likely than boys to report being scared (40% vs 26%), upset
(74% v 48%), sad (59% v 43%), ashamed (22% v 16%) and embarrassed
(43% v 28%). Boys were more likely to say that they weren’t bothered by
the experience than girls (20% v 9%),
• Boys typically endure bullying for shorter periods of time. (Wolke,
2009). Dieter Wolke, University of Warwick said ‘Boys social networks seem
to be more flexible than girls. Once girls are out of a social network, it is
harder for them to get into one’. May be related to types of bullying engaged
in physical versus social
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What does this tell us about addressing bullying?
• Whole school approaches
• Addressing normative contexts
• Mentors in Violence Prevention
• Restorative Approaches
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Respect for All: the national approach
•Is intent required?
•Does the behaviour need to be persistent?
•Bullying and agency
•Bullying and language
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Defining bullying
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Respect For All: the national approach
• The responsibility of all
• Positive relationships
• Focus on prevention and response
• An agreed definition
• Explicit commitment to addressing
prejudice based bullying
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References
• Wolke, D., S.T. Lereya, and N. Tippett, Individual and social determinants of bullying and cyberbullying, in Cyberbullying and youth: From theory to interventions, T.Vollink, F. Dehue, and C. McGuckin, Editors. 2015, Psychology Press: New York.
• Arseneault, L., L. Bowes, and S. Shakoor, Bullying victimization in youths and mental health problems: “Much ado about nothing”? Psychological Medicine, 2010. 40(5): p.717-729
• Reijntjes, A., et al., Peer victimization and internalizing problems in children: A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Child Abuse & Neglect, 2010. 34(4): p. 244-252.
• Zwierzynska, K., D. Wolke, and T.S. Lereya, Peer victimization in childhood and internalizing problems in adolescence: A prospective longitudinal study. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 2013. 41(2): p. 309-323.
• Fekkes, M., F.I.M. Pijpers, and S.P. Verloove- Vanhorick, Bullying behavior and associations with psychosomatic complaints and depression in victims. The Journal of Pediatrics, 2004. 144(1): p. 17-22.
• Schreier, A., et al., Prospective study of peer victimization in childhood and psychotic symptoms in a nonclinical population at age 12 years. Archives of General Psychiatry, 2009. 66(5): p. 527-536.
• Fisher, H.L., et al., Bullying victimisation and risk of self harm in early adolescence: Longitudinal cohort study. BMJ, 2012. 344(e2683).
• respectme, Bullying in Scotland, 2014
• Wolke, D. Who escapes or remains a victim of bullying in primary school?, British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 2010
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Keep in touch
• www.respectme.org.uk
• www.facebook.com/respectme.scotland
• www.Twitter.com/_respectme_
• www.youtube.com/respectmescotland
Anti-BullyingA whole school approach
Holy Cross High School
Anti- Bullying at Holy Cross
The Anti Bullying Committee has now been established for the last two years at Holy Cross High School.
• Pupils
• Staff
• Parents
Questionnaire’s
From the results, we made several action points for the year.
Action Plan Based on views from pupils, parents and staff.
Raise awareness of
different types of bullying.
ProvideA discreet way
for young peopleto reportbullying.Provide
a coherent reporting system
for staff.
Providea safe place
for young peoplewho have
experiencedBullying.Update
our school’sAnti-bullying
Policy.
Creating a sense of identity
Ambassadors
1- Raise Awareness
• Posters
• Assemblies
• PSE Resources used during Anti-Bullying Week
1- Raise Awareness
“A pupil’s journey to overcome bullying”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_QTHd5oDMs
2- Reporting Bullying
3- SIT WITH US
4&5- Update of Policy
• Written in line with guidance provided by RespectMe and SLC ‘Treat me well’ policy
• Provides a proactive approach to Anti-bullying by creating an ethos of inclusion and respect within our school
• Outlines the responsibilities of Pupils, staff and parents
• Provides a reporting system for staff and an Anti-bullying log for Pupil Support staff
Sharing Success
Nathan Shevlin- Holy Cross High School
Opportunities for questions and discussion
www.policyhubscotland.co.uk @policyhubscot
Join the conversation on twitter
#boysmentalhealth
The Mental Health and Wellbeing of Scotland’s Boys – Providing support, removing stigma, enhancing
emotional literacy
Monday 03 June 2019
Edinburgh
www.policyhubscotland.co.uk @policyhubscot
Join the conversation on twitter
#boysmentalhealth
Toni GiuglianoPolicy Manager
Mental Health Foundation
www.policyhubscotland.co.uk @policyhubscot
Join the conversation on twitter
#boysmentalhealth
Toni Giugliano
Mental Health Foundation &
Member Suicide Prevention Leadership Group
Outline
• Mental Health Foundation Scotland
• Suicide Prevention
• Action Plan
• Suicidal behaviours in young men
• Make it Count & Our work on the ground
Our vision is for a world with good mental health for all
Our mission is to help people understand, protect and sustain their
mental health
• Focuses on social justice and inequality in mental health
• Programmes range from children and young people to refugees and asylum seekers
• Raising awareness of mental health with the public
• Working in partnership with community organisations, policy makers and researchers
MHFScotland @MHFScot
The Foundation’s suicide prevention campaign
The Foundation’s campaign
Action Eight
• Action 8. The National Suicide Prevention Leadership Group will ensure that all of the action of the Suicide Prevention Action Plan consider the needs of children and young people
(Plus a specific commitment to train teachers in Mental Health First Aid)
Action Eight
“Educational providers (both at schools and colleges/universities) have an important role in identifying and supporting at-risk young people and those affected by suicide”.
“We commit to ensuring that by end of academic year 2019/20 every local authority will be offered training for teachers in Mental Health First Aid, using the ‘train the trainer’ model.”
•Whole school approach – MH part of teacher training.
•Still too much focus on crisis – more attention on prevention.
•Strengthen young people’s support base: families, schools and peers.
The statistics
- Suicide is a leading cause of death for young people, killing more people under the age of 29 in Scotland than all cancers combined.
- In Scotland, suicide in young men increased for the third consecutive year in 2017.
•Professor Steve Platt argues that the problem of suicidal behaviour is best conceptualised within a public health framework.
“Suicidal behaviour is embedded in a complex web of behavioural, emotional, interpersonal and social factors that have to be attended to concurrently at the individual, family and social level.”
Suicidal behaviour
Suicidal behaviour
Warning signs of suicide to be alert to include changes in personality or behaviour that might not be obviously related to suicide.
• Feeling sad/depressed, withdrawn, anxious or apathetic
• Loss of interest in hobbies, work, socialising or even in their appearance
• Expressing feelings of hopelessness or purposelessness
• Acting impulsively or in a reckless way and not caring what happens to them
• Changes in sleep patterns
• Changes in eating patterns
• Giving away possessions
• Talking about suicide, death or dying or wanting it all to end
Risk Factors
• Mental health problems
• Previous suicide attempts
• Personality characteristics
• Family factors
• Bereavement
• Availability of means
• Specific life events-traits
• Struggling with sexual orientation and/or identity
• Contagion
• Substance misuse
• Bullying
• Low self-esteem
• Stigma associated with asking for help
Protective factors
Strong connections & measures to tackle social
isolation
Nurture Societies that
tackle poverty and inequalities
Societies that provide an
adequate financial safety net
Restricted access to means of suicide
Implementing effective measures to tackle drug and
alcohol abuse
Compassionate environments (workplace,
schools)
Problem-solving abilities
Education systems that place wellbeing
at their heart
Prompt and non-stigmatising access
to support
O’Connor (2011); O’Connor & Kirtley (2018) Philosophical Transactions of Royal Society B
Integrated Motivational–Volitional (IMV) Model
of Suicidal Behaviour2011, 2018
SuicidalId
eation&In
tent
SuicidalBeh
aviour
AccesstomeansDoesindividualhavereadyaccesstolikelymeansofsuicide?
ExposuretosuicideorsuicidalbehaviourHasafamilymember/friendengagedinsuicidalbehaviour?
ImpulsivityDoesindividualtendtoactimpulsively/onspurofmoment?
Physicalpainsensitivity/enduranceHastheindividualhigh(increased)physicalpainendurance?
FearlessnessaboutdeathIsindividualfearfulaboutdeath/hasthischanged?
MentalimageryDoesindividualdescribevisualisingdying/afterdeath?
PastsuicidalbehaviourHastheindividualahistoryofsuicideattemptsorself-harm?
Planning(if-thenplans)Hasindividualformulatedaplanforsuicide?
IMV Model: From Suicidal Thoughts to Suicidal Behaviour:
Volitional Factors
O’Connor & Kirtley (2018) Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B
Mental Health
Problems in Young People
• 1 in 10 children and young people aged 5 to 16 with clinically diagnosable mental illness
• Half of all mental health problems arrive by the age of 14
• 22% increase in no. of referrals to specialiseservices since 13/14
• Increase in rejected referrals and waiting times
Our research
has found:
• 60% of young Scots (aged 18 to 24) have felt so stressed by pressure to succeed that they have felt overwhelmed or unable to cope.
• 47% of young Scots have felt so stressed by body image and appearance that they have felt overwhelmed or unable to cope.
• 57% of young Scots have felt so stressed because of fear of making mistakes they have felt overwhelmed or unable to cope.
• 39% of young Scots said they had experienced suicidal feelings because of stress.
• 29% of young Scots said they had self-harmed because of high levels of stress.
“I think as a boy, I felt that growing up, you didn’t talk to other boys, it’s just something you didn’t do and probably continues to this day. It’s something I struggled with.”
Pupil, Focus Group
“You get stuff on violence and stopping people fighting and drug talks but there’s never really any talk about mental health. I think support is implied, there is never any straight out – we are here, this is how you prevent stuff – there is never any of that ”.
Pupil, Focus Group
Make it Count
Whole-school approach
Self Management
Tackling Stigma
Mental Health Literacy
Whole of Class
Culture and environment
Teacher Training and CPD
Early
Crisis
School policy and infrastructure
Whole-school approach
• Stress Less (Primary and Secondary): Using interactive activities to help children and young people explore how their mind, body and mood connect by focusing on the experience of stress. Pupils are helped to find what works for them as individuals to stay mentally well and to manage lives ups and downs.
• Peer Education Programme (PEP) To embed MH Literacy more formally in the curriculum at junior and senior level via a peer education model that positively impacts on school culture. S5 pupils are trained as peer educators achieving SQA Mental Health & Wellbeing Award as they deliver five concurring PSE sessions to junior pupils in S1.
To find out more about Stress Less or PEP contact Rachel Hood, Families, Children and Young People Manager at the Mental Health Foundation: [email protected]
Our work on the ground…
Key considerations
• We need to furnish young people, especially boys, with the emotional language to talk about their feelings, and give them the techniques to stay mentally well as they navigate life’s ups and downs.
• We need to address traditional perceptions of strength and masculinity and turn help-seeking into a strength rather than weakness.
• Mental health stigma still present in schools – deploy peer education programmes.
• The school environment plays a crucial role in the development of young minds – our education system must place mental hygiene and emotional resilience at its heart.
Opportunities for questions and discussion
www.policyhubscotland.co.uk @policyhubscot
Join the conversation on twitter
#boysmentalhealth
The Mental Health and Wellbeing of Scotland’s Boys – Providing support, removing stigma, enhancing
emotional literacy
Monday 03 June 2019
Edinburgh
www.policyhubscotland.co.uk @policyhubscot
Join the conversation on twitter
#boysmentalhealth