‘Mental health days’ for children would help identify at-risk kids

Children should be able to skip school for ‘mental health days’, separate from other sick days, in a bid to identify at-risk kids and reduce stigma. HAVE YOUR SAY

Children should be able to skip school for “mental health days”, separate from other sick days, in a bid to identify at-risk kids and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

Professor Brett Emmerson, Queensland Branch chair of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, has thrown his support behind mental health days for students, after two Queensland students died by suicide last year after they were bullied and the state’s rate of children aged 10 to 14 years dying by suicide doubled to one every four-and-a-half weeks.

And well-known child psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg told The Courier-Mail that formalised mental health days for schoolchildren were long overdue.

“It is a good idea to teach children that it is okay to admit they are nervous or scared about going to school,” Prof Emmerson said.

Experts have suported ‘mental health days’ for school children.

“Rather than them having to lie and say they have a sore throat to avoid a tough day they should be taught that looking after the mind is as important as looking after the body and it is nothing to be ashamed of.

“We know that life is complex for today’s kids and whether they are having issues with bullying or something else, a mental health day would be a good idea.”

But Teachers Professional Association of Queensland secretary Edward Schuller said parents should take the “overarching responsibility” for their children’s mental health.

“This sort of headline grabbing issue only serves as a distraction to the actual problems within our education system,” he said.

“It’s our responsibility to teach children to face up to the realities of life, and not be constantly coddled.

“There’s a reason why we have guidance councillors in every school. These are trained professionals that do a great amount of work in supporting students through difficult times.”

The state government is finishing rolling out its $106.7m Student Wellbeing Package, which promises to give every Queensland state school access to a mental health professional, including guidance councillors, by June 30.

The Department of Education says it expects to complete this rollout on time.

Grandparents book by Michael Carr-Gregg

A Department spokesman said “schools work closely with students and parents to provide early interventions for at-risk students and specialised case management where needed”.

“While maximising attendance at school is vital to improving students’ educational outcomes, general wellbeing and their future employment options, the department’s advice to staff and students is to stay home if they are feeling unwell,” he said.

Dr Carr-Gregg said that formalised mental health days would not just be about a child having a break for a day.

“It’s about the school community teaching children that looking after their mental health is just as important as looking after a broken arm,” he said.

Dr Carr-Gregg acknowledged that potential rollout of this policy change would not be smooth sailing, but could work with the proper regulations and parent co-operation.

“Of course kids will try it on to get out of assignments, so parents and schools would have to work out the rules,” he said.

“But if a child is asking for multiple mental health days off, then it’s a red flag worthy of investigation.”

Queensland Mental Health Commissioner Ivan Frkovic said youth mental health was a community-wide issue.

“I think we should be having conversations about how best to support children and young people who may be struggling – including using sick days when needed — but a whole range of responses are required,” he said.

“Some of these include treatment through the health system, but also include supports accessible through the education system, youth, sporting and community clubs, with an emphasis on social connection.”

Far North Queensland student Corrine Lee-Cheu, 13, took her own life on September 13, the day before RUOK Day, with her mother saying she was driven to breaking point by bullies.

Beaudesert State High School student Onyx Rose, also 13, suicided on July 16 after being bullied for identifying as a boy.