Open minds to mental health in schools: Inclusion, child and disability rights, and prevention of stigma

Children and adolescents worldwide currently receive minimal or no mental health services. To compound this problem, those youngsters who often are recipients of care stand the risk of being alienated and marginalized. Furthermore, the coordination of such scarce mental health services is at best inconsistent with very poor collaboration across agencies and between providers. A major player within such a fragmented de facto system of mental health services is the education sector. In most parts of the world schools are simply the only hope of coordinated care.  There is a need to Open Minds to Mental Health in Schools in order to develop inclusive school environments to comprehensively address the psychosocial, behavioral, and developmental needs of children and adolescents, irrespective of their uniquely vulnerable circumstances. We need to start early, and expand the scope for understanding of the importance of mental health in schools and to sustain the participation of all children across the educational spectrum of opportunity. There is now strong scientific agreement for the need to establish earlier contexts for childhood education and interventions. The promotion of mental health in schools is an indelible part of public health. The focus is on health, prevention of illness and disability, with the goal for development of a continuum of opportunities in the community following the youngsters’ participation in the full and formative educational experience. This model integrating public health, mental health and education is long overdue. It leads to inclusion, better respect for child and disability rights, and prevention of stigma. It therefore stands not only to benefit children and adolescents, but all members of society, as it promotes tolerance and better citizenship.