Whose responsibility is adolescent’s mental health in the UK? Perspectives of key stakeholders

O'Reilly, M., Adams, S., Whiteman, N., Hughes, J., Reilly, P. and Dogra, N. (2018) Whose responsibility is adolescent’s mental health in the UK? Perspectives of key stakeholders. School Mental Health, 10(4), pp. 450-461. (doi: 10.1007/s12310-018-9263-6) (PMID:30464778) (PMCID:PMC6223973)

Abstract

The mental health of adolescents is a salient contemporary issue attracting the attention of policy makers in the UK and other countries. It is important that the roles and responsibilities of agencies are clearly established, particularly those positioned at the forefront of implementing change. Arguably, this will be more effective if those agencies are actively engaged in the development of relevant policy. An exploratory study was conducted with 10 focus groups including 54 adolescents, 8 mental health practitioners and 16 educational professionals. Thematic analysis revealed four themes: (1) mental health promotion and prevention is not perceived to be a primary role of a teacher; (2) teachers have limited skills to manage complex mental health difficulties; (3) adolescents rely on teachers for mental health support and education about mental health; and (4) the responsibility of parents for their children’s mental health. The research endorses the perspective that teachers can support and begin to tackle mental well-being in adolescents. However, it also recognises that mental health difficulties can be complex, requiring adequate funding and support beyond school. Without this support in place, teachers are vulnerable and can feel unsupported, lacking in skills and resources which in turn may present a threat to their own mental well-being.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This study was funded by the Wellcome Trust (109393/Z/15/Z).
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Reilly, Dr Paul
• Authors: O'Reilly, M., Adams, S., Whiteman, N., Hughes, J., Reilly, P., and Dogra, N.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Politics
• Journal Name: School Mental Health
• Publisher: Springer
• ISSN: 1866-2625
• ISSN (Online): 1866-2633
• Published Online: 06 April 2018
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2018 The Authors
• First Published: First published in School Mental Health 10(4): 450-461
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License