Mental Health Awareness Training in Secondary Schools

Mental illness disproportionately affects young people - over half of mental health problems start by the age of 14, and 75 per cent by the age of 18.

Just as with physical health, there is a duty to make sure that young people who are struggling with their mental health have access to all the support and care that they need, including within schools.

1.2 A Government Teacher Voice survey in 2016 found that only just over half (57%) of teachers said they felt equipped to identify behaviour that may be linked to a mental health issue, and only 40% of teachers said they felt equipped to teach children in the classroom with mental health needs.

1.3 That is why In January 2017 the Prime Minister committed to having mental health 'first aid' (awareness) training available to all secondary schools, aiming to have trained at least one teacher in every secondary school by 2020, to help spot the early symptoms of mental health issues, and make sure that the child receives the support they need.