Scottish Education: A Model for Strengthening Mental Health—A Case Study in Inclusive Scottish Primary Schools

Abstract

Contemporary society represents a new wave of interests in Mental Health affected by the double-sided effect of development. A new wave of rapid technological development in human affairs has created greater opportunities for experiencing creativity in new forms that can then underpin enhanced states of human welfare. At the same time, these changes have become threats to human well-being, resulting from the dislocating impact of new ways of living. Despite the positive effects of improvement, negative consequences have arisen such as dehumanization due to the atomization of modern life, and the troubling spectacle of increased rates of Mental Health problems among the young (Mulraney et al. in Br J Psychiatry 217:364–369, 2019 []). Consequently, the role of schools for strengthening Mental Health has been increasingly emphasized. The concept of ‘Mental Health’ is especially meaningful to be investigated through Music Education since human beings have had an enduring relationship with sound and music. The principal aim of this paper is to investigate how schools can address issues of Mental Health and consider the potential of music-therapeutic interventions to be added in inclusive mainstream schools to expand the positive effects of music. First, in the conceptual part of the research, the benefits of music to Mental Health are discussed, particularly focusing on the concept of ‘emotion’. Thereafter, the empirical part of this research is illustrated, which was conducted in Scottish primary schools to investigate how Mental Health is being approached. The analysis of data shows that Scottish schools are providing good models for addressing issues of Mental Health for a wide range of pupils from diverse backgrounds. This paper concludes that Music Education should continue to harbor rich possibilities for promoting Mental Health as an essential attribute of the flourishing and well-lived life.