Linking education and mental health – a European priority

Abstract

Purpose

The paper seeks to clarify the links between education and mental health in European policy and practice.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides an overview of the literature and clarification of what it shows.

Findings

Education has a major role in promoting mental health by enhancing positive wellbeing and tackling mental health problems. Education is in itself protective of mental health – so we need to increase access support inclusively and target at‐risk groups. Mental health and education need to improve their mutual communication between them. More needs to be done to develop evidence‐based, explicit, planned and evaluated whole‐school programmes to promote mental health, which develop the kind of climates and practices that are conducive to emotional wellbeing and help staff and pupils learn key skills. The European evidence base is poor and we need to put more resources into developing it, and networks between programmes, research and policy makers.

Originality/value

Bringing together the key elements in the arguments and evidence on how mental health and education could and do link together.

Citation

Weare, K. (2007), "Linking education and mental health – a European priority", Health Education, Vol. 107 No. 3, pp. 245-249. https://doi.org/10.1108/09654280710742546