A collaborative approach to support learners with mental health challenges in under-resourced schools: a secondary data analysis.
Date
2022
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The burden of mental health problems is rising affecting both the functional and social lives of
young and adult individuals. Given the high rates of student mental health difficulties
worldwide and the escalation of incidences in schools, homes and communities, where learners
fight with their peers, educators and families, specialist support is sparse within the Department
of Education. Thus, it is imperative to explore the collaborative support provided to learners
with mental health problems in schools. This secondary data analysis is about exploring the
collaborative support to learners experiencing mental health challenges in under-resourced
schools. The Biopsychosocial theory was used as a theoretical framework for this review. Data
was collected from peer-reviewed publications and government policies. This review seeks to
understand the challenges that are experienced by learners with mental health in underresourced
schools and to establish how learners with mental health challenges are identified
in schools. It also explored how learners are coping with mental health in schools as well as to
ascertain the nature and extent of the collaborative support provided to learners with mental
health and psychosocial concerns in under-resourced schools.
The review found that there is ineffective and inefficient collaborative support provided to
learners with mental health in under-resourced schools and that there is insufficient training to
equip educators with skills to identify and support learners with mental health problems and
coping strategies. The findings of the review recommended that the School Based Support
Team ensures the using of the Screening, Identification Assessment and Support policy as a
standardised tool to identify learners experiencing mental health challenges to enable the
provision of relevant support and that in-service training of educators be mandatory to equip
them with strategies to identify and support learners with mental health challenges. It also
recommended that educators and other educational support professionals to acquire means
within which to work collaboratively to benefit learners with mental health challenges.
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.