Emotional health and wellbeing CPD for school nurses

Abstract

The emotional health and wellbeing of children and young people is a significant public health issue. If figures of mental health disorders continue to rise at their current rate, by 2020 mental ill health may become one of five leading causes of childhood illness, disability and death (WHO, 2004). While it is not definitive why this public health issue continues to rise, several triggers have been associated with the deterioration in mental health in young people. These triggers include: pressure to achieve educationally, perfection relating to body image, consumerism, competition for jobs in a rising unemployment market, family breakdown and access to social media 24-hours a day (Young Minds, 2014). Furthermore it has been found that the adult brain does not fully develop until the age of 25 years thus creating a combination of factors, which make young people susceptible to developing mental health issues during this formative stage. Consequently this has led to a paradigm shift in the school nursing service over the last decade, with an ever increasing focus on the emotional health of children and young people. School nurses are involved in a range of complex psychological and emotional disorders; for example, with children as young as 5 experiencing anxiety and/or displaying signs of conduct disorder through to adolescents with eating disorders, who deliberately self-harming and/or with depression. Nonetheless school nurses are in a unique position to identify, support and manage children and young people with their emotional health through their public health role, which involves early intervention, health prevention and education (Haddad et al, 2010) across all service levels from Universal to Universal Partnership Plus (Department of Health (DH), 2012a).