Promoting Mental Well-Being Through Social-Emotional Learning in Schools: Examples from British Columbia
Publication: Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
20 April 2018
Abstract
Social and emotional learning is increasingly recognized as playing an important role in the promotion of positive mental health in schools. In 2012, the Mental Health Commission of Canada identified child and youth mental health as a priority for the transformation of mental health systems in Canada. To this end, comprehensive efforts to promote positive social and emotional development in schools and to foster safe and caring school environments are urgently needed. This paper highlights the multi-faceted approach undertaken in British Columbia over the past decade to promote positive mental health through social-emotional learning in schools.
Résumé
L’apprentissage socio-émotionel est de plus en plus reconnu comme jouant un rôle important dans la promotion de la santé mentale en milieu scolaire. Étant donné que la promotion de la santé mentale chez les enfants et les adolescents a été identifiée comme priorité par le Commission de la santé mentale du Canada, il est urgent de déployer des efforts significatifs afin de promouvoir le développement socio-émotionnel dans les écoles pour favoriser des milieux sécuritaires et accueillants. Ce document souligne et résume l’approche à multiple facettes déployée depuis dix ans en Colombie Britannique afin de promouvoir la santé mentale via l’apprentissage socio-émotionnel en milieu scolaire.
Formats available
You can view the full content in the following formats:
References
Alberta Canada Institute of Health Economics. (2007). Mental health economic statistics: In your pocket, retrieved from https://www.ihe.ca/advanced-search/mental-health-economic-statistics-in-your-pocket
Belfield, C., Bowden, B., Klapp, A., Levin, H., Shand, R., & Zander, S. (2015). The economic value of social and emotional learning. NY: Center for Benefit-Cost Studies in Education, Teachers College, Columbia University.
British Columbia Ministry of Education. (2015). Building student success: BC’s new curriculum. Retrieved from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca
Canadian Institute for Health Information. (2007). Improving the health of Canadians: Mental health and homelessness. Retrieved from http://secure.cihi.ca/cihiweb/products/mental_health_report_aug22_2007_e.pdf
Canadian Psychiatric Association. (2001). Mental illness awareness week guidebook. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Psychiatric Association.
Collie R. J., Shapka J. D., and Perry N. E. 2012 School climate and social-emotional learning: Predicting teacher stress, job satisfaction, and teaching efficacy Journal of Educational Psychology 104 1189 -1204
Dadds M. R., Spence S., Holland D. E., Barrett P. M., and Laurens K. R. 1997 Prevention and early intervention for anxiety disorders: A controlled trial Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 65 627 -635
Dewa C. S., Chau N., and Dermer S. 2010 Examining the comparative incidence and costs of physical and mental health-related disabilities in an employed population Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 52 758 -762
Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Domitrovich, C. E., & Gullotta, T. P. (2015). Handbook of social and emotional learning: Research and practice. NY: Guilford.
Durlak J. A., Weissberg R., Dymnicki A., Taylor R., and Schellinger K. 2011 The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta‐analysis of school‐based universal interventions Child Development 82 405 -432
Estrada A. U. and Pinsof W. M. 1995 The effectiveness of family therapies for selected behavior disorders of childhood Journal of Marital and Family Therapy 21 403 -440
Greenberg M. T., Domitrovich C., and Bumbarger B. 2001 The prevention of mental disorders in school-aged children: Current state of the field Prevention & Treatment 4 1 -62
Guhn M., Schonert-Reichl K. A., Gadermann A. M., Hymel S., and Hertzman C. 2012 A population study of victimization, relationships, and well-being in middle childhood Journal of Happiness Studies 14 1529 -1541
Hawkins J. D., Kosterman R., Catalano R. F., Hill K. G., and Abbott R. D. 2005 Positive adult functioning through social development intervention in childhood: Long-term effects from the Seattle Social Development Project Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine 159 25 -31
Illback R. 1994 Poverty and the crisis in children’s services: The need for services integration Journal of Clinical Child Psychology 23 413 424.
Jennings P. A. and Greenberg M.T 2009 The prosocial classroom: Teacher social and emotional competence in relation to student and classroom outcomes Review of Educational Research 79 491 -525
Joubert N. & T. Stephens 2001 The economic burden of mental health problems in Canada Chronic Diseases in Canada 22 18 -23
Kessler R. C., Berglund P., Demler O., Jin R., and Walters E. 2005 Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication Archives of General Psychiatry 62 593 -602
Kutcher, S. (2015). Mental health and high school curriculum guide: Understanding mental health and mental illness (Updated Edition). Halifax, NS: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Leadbeater B. J., Hoglund W. L., and Woods T. 2003 Changing contexts? The effects of a primary prevention program on classroom levels of peer relational and physical victimization Journal of Community Psychology 31 397 -418
Leadbeater B. and Sukhawathanakul P. 2011 Multicomponent programs for reducing peer victimization in early elementary school: A longitudinal evaluation of the WITS primary program Journal of Community Psychology 39 606 -620
Mental Health Commission of Canada. (2012). Changing directions, changing lives: The mental health strategy for Canada. Retrieved from :https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mentalhealthcommission.ca%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2FMHStrategy_Strategy_ENG.pdf
Muris P., Merckelbach H., Mayer B., and Prins E. 2000 How serious are common childhood fears Behaviour Research and Therapy 38 217 -228
Schonert-Reichl K. A., Guhn M., Gadermann A. M., Hymel S., Sweiss L., and Hertzman C. 2013 Development and validation of the Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI): Assessing children’s well-being and assets across multiple contexts Social Indicators Research 114 345 -369
Schonert-Reichl, K. A., & Hymel, S. (1996). Promoting social development and acceptance in the elementary classroom. In J. Andrews (Ed.) Teaching students with diverse needs (pp. 152–200) Scarborough, ON: Nelson Canada.
Schonert-Reichl, K. A., Hanson-Peterson, J. L., & Hymel, S. (2015). Social and emotional learning and pre-service teacher education. In J. Durlak, R. Weissberg, C. Domitrovich, & T. Gullotta (Eds.), Handbook of social & emotional learning: Research and practice (pp. 406–421). NY: Guilford.
Sklad M., Diekstra R., De Ritter M., and Ben J. 2012 Effectiveness of school-based universal social, emotional, and behavioural programs: Do they enhance students’ development in the area of skill, behaviour, and adjustment? Psychology in the Schools 49 892 -909
Sklad M., Diekstra R., De Ritter M., Ben J., and Gravesteijn C. 2012 Effectiveness of school-based universal social, emotional, and behavioural programs: Do they enhance students’ development in the area of skill, behaviour, and adjustment? Psychology in the Schools 49 892 -909
Smetanin, P., Stiff, D., Briante, C., Adair, C., Ahmad, S., & Khan, M. (2011). The life and economic impact of major mental illnesses in Canada: 2011 to 2041. Risk Analytica, on behalf of the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Retrieved from www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/…/MHCC_Report_Base_Case_FINAL_ENG_0_0.pdf
Stewart, L. A., Harris, A., Archambault, K., Wilton, G., Cousineau, C., Varrette, S., & Power, J. (2009). An initial report on the results of the pilot of the computerized mental health intake screened system (CoMHISS). Ottawa: Correctional Service of Canada. Retrieved from http://strategy.mentalhealthcommission.ca/the-facts/
Suldo, S. M. (2016). Promoting student happiness: Positive psychology interventions in schools. NY: Guilford.
Waddell C., McEwan K., Shepherd C. A., Offord D. R., and Hua J. M. 2005 A public health strategy to improve the mental health of Canadian children The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 50 4 226 -233
Weare, K. (2000). Promoting mental, emotional and social health: A whole school approach. London, UK: Routledge.
Weare K. 2010 Mental health and social and emotional learning: Evidence, principles, tensions and balances Advances in School Mental Health Promotion 3 5 -17
Wells J., Barlow J., and Stewart-Brown S. 2003 A systematic review of universal approaches to mental health promotion in schools Health Education Journal 103 197 -220
World Health Organization. (2010). Mental health: Strengthening our response. Fact sheet No. 220. Retrieved from http://www.wiredhealthresources.net/resources/NA/WHOFS_MentalHealthStrengtheningResponse.pdf
Zins, J. E., Bloodworth, M. R., Weissberg, R. P., & Walberg, H. J. (2004). The scientific base linking social and emotional learning to school success. In J. E. Zins, R. P. Weissberg, M. C. Wang, & H. J. Walberg (Eds.), Building academic success on social and emotional learning: What does the research say? (pp. 3–22). NY: Teachers College Press.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
Volume 36 • Number 4 • December 2017
Pages: 97 - 107
History
Version of record online: 20 April 2018
Key Words
Mots-clés
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Other Metrics
Citations
Cite As
Shelley Hymel, Angela Low, Lindsay Starosta, Randip Gill, and Kimberly Schonert-Reichl. 2017. Promoting Mental Well-Being Through Social-Emotional Learning in Schools: Examples from British Columbia. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health.
36(4): 97-107. https://doi.org/10.7870/cjcmh-2017-029
Export Citations
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.
There are no citations for this item
View Options
View options
Login options
Check if you access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.
Subscribe
Click on the button below to subscribe to Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
