Social wellbeing – a key factor in the mental health of children and adolescent

Abstract

This contribution represents a long-term project to support the social well-being of pupils for use in the educational environment of schools. The presented project was created as part of the GAČR grant task No. 23-07934S. Social well-being emphasizes well-being in social relationships, specifically in the classroom environment and in the overall climate of the school. It focuses on improving the atmosphere, following the rules, mutual respect, tolerance for diversity, as a basic source of social and individual well-being. The paper responds to the steady rise in mental health problems of children and adolescents (data from the National Institute of Health, CSU), the increase in self-harm and suicide in this age group, based on a long-term analysis of the school environment in which the author is involved, the results of research at home and abroad.

Guiding pupils to achieve life's optimum through the promotion of a healthy social environment has a positive impact on school performance, according to current domestic research. A healthy social environment increases tolerance for differences, reduces anxiety in children and adolescents, and enables them to maximise their own potential.

Thus, caring for the social wellbeing of pupils in schools must be one of the key areas in the comprehensive promotion of mental health, especially in the long term.

The theoretical starting points of the paper are different conceptions of "wellbeing", in which a different quality of this state is highlighted (cf. Jandová, 2021), the starting points are also the thought concepts of Z. Matějček, a leading child psychologist focusing on the needs of children (positive social bonds in the family and school environment, engagement in a variety of activities supporting physical, intellectual and emotional development, a sense of safety and security, a healthy sense of self, social fulfilment and a sense of an open future).

This background was used to design a project to promote the social wellbeing of pupils, the project was prepared in collaboration with Czech Television (CT Edu). Taking into account the possibilities of the school environment, it is ready for implementation in the classroom. All the aspects mentioned above are addressed in the different parts of the presented project, as well as the possibilities of the classroom teachers and their sense of security in working with personal development techniques.