Teaching children about stress boosts mental health, study finds

Helping children understand and normalise emotions like stress and sadness is the most effective way to support their mental health, according to a six-year study involving more than 32,000 pupils across 513 schools.

The Strategies for Safety and Wellbeing programme, which teaches pupils to normalise  everyday emotions, differentiate them from mental ill health along with teaching them where to go for support, had the most positive impact. It improved mental health literacy in primary schools and, when fully implemented, significantly benefited secondary students.

Other approaches, such as daily mindfulness and relaxation exercises, showed mixed results. Relaxation techniques helped primary pupils but increased emotional difficulties in older students, while mindfulness had the opposite effect.

The study, led by the Evidence Based Practice Unit at UCL and funded by the Department for Education, highlights the need for tailored mental health strategies in schools. 

ESL’s Victoria Myers, said: “Wellbeing is vital at every age. A healthy mind and body is so important.  Providing a warm, healthy environment comes at a cost and schools and trusts must ensure they are only paying for energy used and not huge commissions by unscrupulous brokers.”