What are the key differences between supporting the wellbeing and mental health of primary and secondary school aged children?

“In thinking about the key difference is in supporting primary and secondary school age children, I think there are three main aspects which make a difference.

Age makes a difference to what's available to young people in terms of your independence and autonomy, so younger children are much more dependent on adults for their support and meeting their needs. So, adults need to think much more carefully about how children are responding in certain context and what's available to support them. The adults need to be quite proactive in providing that support or enabling it. Older children can initiate their own support mechanisms often through their friends. Peer support is really important.
The second area is how children express themselves in terms of emotion or the inner world. Younger children might find it harder to articulate what they're feeling directly. Older children are often more able to speak about their feelings although many adolescents might find that difficult too.
So, when we're thinking about supporting primary or secondary age children we respond slightly differently. Younger children might be encouraged to draw or make a sand picture or play. This enables them to express their emotions and they may want to share what they see in their picture or story. Amateur psychoanalysis should be avoided at all costs! The drawing of the picture is helpful in itself. So, providing as many creative opportunities or play opportunities for younger children is important. The same also holds for older children but listening to older children and just asking them how they are sounds simple, but it's important to make time for. For all children paying attention to their actions and their behaviour and what that might be telling us is also important. Changes in behaviour are important.

It is important to remember that those who know children well, such as their parents, friends and teachers play a very important part and there's a lot of research to show that a listening adult plays a very powerful part in helping children work through difficulties or difficult times.”

Recently published further reading on this topic by Professor Colleen McLaughlin

McLaughlin, C. and Holliday, C. (2014) Therapy with Children and Young People: Integrative counselling in Schools and other Settings. London: Sage

Banerjee, R., McLaughlin, C., Cotney, J., Roberts, L. and Peereboom (2015) Promoting Emotional Health, Well-being, and Resilience in Primary Schools. Cardiff: Public Policy Institute for Wales.