Abstract
Worldwide, approximately 10–20% of children and adolescents experience mental disorders, and half of all mental illness begin by age 14. About 75% mental illnesses start before the age of 24. Further, neuropsychiatric conditions are the leading cause of disabilities, across countries. Studies from around the world report that the majority of children and adolescents with mental health problems are affected in ways that their potential to live life to its fullest is not achieved. Also, they face several difficulties, compared to typically developing children, such as stigma, discrimination, poor academic achievement, etc. Recognizing this, many countries have taken up several initiatives for effectively dealing with the mental health issues of children at an early age. Such attempts, though in action for decades, were informed by what is known as ‘deficit-based’ mental illness prevention approaches. The past few years have seen a drastic shift in the focus of researchers and practitioners alike, who are working in the field of mental health, with the ‘strength-based’ mental health promotion approach gaining momentum. It is known that schools have the potential to be places where mental health issues can be addressed. The last couple of decades have seen a significant upsurge in attempts to utilize schools for promoting positive mental health. The present chapter will discuss in detail, the concept of mental health promotion and how schools can play a role in promoting positive mental health among children.
Keywords
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Soni, S., Hameed, N. (2018). Strength-Based Approaches to Mental Health Promotion in Schools: An Overview. In: Deb, S. (eds) Positive Schooling and Child Development. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0077-6_8
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