Mental health expert calls for better understanding during visit to Manchester school
Dick Moore says psychologists could make huge difference in UK schools
There’s been calls for trained mental health professionals to be added to school staff across the UK.
On a visit to Manchester High School for Girl to help students, parents and staff tackle youth mental health issues, expert Dick Moore described the issue as ‘a hidden epidemic and a national disgrace’.
According to data from the National Study of Health and Wellbeing, one in five young women suffer from common mental disorders such as anxiety and depression and they are the highest mental health risk group in England.
Mrs Ann Goddard, Deputy Head (Pastoral) at Manchester High School for Girls, said: “Here at Manchester High we don’t want to bury our heads in the sand about the problems that young people today face. We know that the culture of our school will only be balanced and healthy if it is made up of balanced and healthy individuals and, as such, we place great importance on the work of our Wellbeing programme.
“We regularly invite in experts, such as Dick, to help our girls explore their emotions and identify signs and symptoms of the most common mental health problems.
“What’s important about our approach is that it’s not just the girls that we speak to, but their parents as well. It’s all about approaching those tricky adolescent years as a family and ensuring everyone has the tools to cope.”
Dick Moore commented: “We can, and must, do something about the poor mental health of young people across the country. We can’t just pay lip-service to the problem by issuing sporadic platitudes and I commend schools such as Manchester High who are willing to address the problem head on and in a frank and honest way.”