Development of a World Health Organization mental health in schools programme in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

BACKGROUND

Schools provide an exceptional opportunity for mental health promotion and intervention.

AIMS

To describe the development of a World Health Organization (WHO) mental health in schools programme in the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

METHODS

Two tenets guided development of the mental health in schools programme: (1) it used a multitiered system of support framework that includes 3 tiers of interventions (universal, early and targeted); and (2) interventions that must be feasible for implementation by non-mental health professionals.

RESULTS

The WHO mental health in schools programme manual is organized into a background section, followed by 3 modules: social-emotional childhood development; mental health promoting schools (promotion and prevention); and addressing student mental health problems in your classroom, including specific classroom strategies and case examples.

CONCLUSION

Developing an appropriate curriculum that is sensitive to the needs of individual countries requires involvement of those familiar with schooling in those countries. It should include mental health priorities and practices that promote mental health, and coalesce school staff, parents and community members in support of their children.