Youth Incorporated Magazine

370 schools in England will be introduced to Mindfulness, breathing and relaxation exercises, in a bid to teach them the importance of looking after their mental health, and to deal with the ‘pressures of the modern world’

This program will be in its pilot run till 2021, and is the largest one of its kind. Reportedly, 370 primary and secondary schools will be involved in teaching their pupils breathing techniques, relaxation exercises, and mindfulness to help them ‘regulate their emotions’. The pupils will also have sessions with mental health experts lined up, to determine what kind of help they need. Secondary school students will take part in informative sessions by either specialist instructors or trained teachers.

This trial is being led by being led by the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families in partnership with University College London. It was announced at the beginning of Child Mental Health week from 4^th to 10^th February. “We know schools have a strong commitment to supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing but have had little clear guidance about the best ways to approach this. We want children and young people, parents and teachers to be confident that mental health in schools has an absolutely robust evidence base,” said project leader Dr. Jessica Deighton.

The new scheme comes as a relief amid an epidemic of mental health problems among children and teenagers, caused by the internet. Research conducted by University College London shows that compared to teenage boys, teenage girls are more likely to show signs of depression due to social media. Another study found that loneliness among the youth is on the rise due to the increased use of social media.

“As a society, we are much more open about our mental health than ever before, but the modern world has brought new pressures for children, while potentially making others worse,” said education secretary Damian Hinds.

A market research company named Childwise, in its findings, concurred that 58% of students from nine to sixteen years of age face lonliness. Out of these, it was discovered that teenage girls were the most affected, a staggering 80% from 15-16 years of age.

“Crucially, services like these can lessen the anxiety, pain and anguish that some teens go through, but also reduce their need for intensive support further down the line,” said Imran Hussain, director of policy and campaigns at Action For Children.