Student Health
Mental health
Mental health promotion is any action taken to maximise mental health and wellbeing among populations and individuals.
Activities that promote mental health through prevention and early intervention substantially improve the social and emotional wellbeing of young people.
Schools can help to reduce the onset of mental health problems by implementing preventative strategies as outlined in the Framework for Student Support Services to provide safe and supportive environments for students.
Youth suicide
Suicide prevention in Victoria sits within the Framework for Student Support Services in Victorian Government Schools. It is based on international and local research that indicates that a population based preventative approach that aims to build resilience in young people, is far more effective than simply focussing on intervention based approaches.
It must be stressed that a whole school approach to building resilience is critical and schools should not employ a narrow approach that focuses only on suicide. The following resources will assist with this:
- The Framework for Student Support Services in Victorian Government Schools - Teacher Resource (PDF - 386Kb) - contains information about suicide prevention curriculum (page 17) and dealing with unsafe behaviour (page 44-45).
- The Framework for Student Support Services in Victorian Government Schools: Professional Development Support Materials (PDF - 244Kb) contains information on suicide intervention (page 31-33).
- Circular 341/2002 (Word) Responding to suicidal intent or self-harm within the Framework for Student Support Services in Victorian Government Schools (edumail user name and password required)
Resources
For more information about mental health for young people in Victoria, see:
- Together We Do Better - VicHealth campaign to improve awareness and understanding of mental health issues in our community.
- Victoria’s mental health services
- Mental Health Resources
- MindMatters - A mental health promotion program for secondary schools.
- Beyond Blue – the national depression initiative