Madam, - While commending the Government's recent initiative on suicide prevention, we would like to draw attention to one neglected focus for primary mental health care - our secondary schools. Our previous research found that thoughts of suicide and self-harm are common among schoolgoers.
In many children these thoughts are clear signals of emotional difficulties; in others, they are the precursors of possible suicidal acts.
As teachers and pupils embark on yet another school year should schools not also be giving some consideration to developing social and emotional competencies in children? Our current work aims to augment the present SPHE (Social and Personal Education) curriculum with attractive mental health promotion material.
When mental health topics such as stress, mental illness or suicide are discussed openly within the context of a standard school subject such as SPHE, both teachers and pupils benefit greatly. Are not skills for living just as important as academic ones for most youngsters?
Instilling personal confidence and hope in schoolgoers at an early stage in their lives has been shown internationally to be a most effective bulwark against later development of feelings of personal unhappiness and distress. Professional preventative mental health work in schools is a sine qua non of any effective suicide prevention programme.
"Mol an óige" indeed! - Yours, etc,
MIKE POWER, Mater Hospital Mental Health Project, Dublin 7.