Building Mental Resilience in Children

Abstract

Literature reports that schools are the appropriate settings to organize and apply activities to promote children's and young people's resilience. Mental resilience is the ability an individual has to cope and succeed in dealing with challenges, misfortune, and adversities. Mental resilience in children is distinguished when they manage to exhibit developmental evolution and positive mental health despite the fact that they are “at risk”. Important attributes of resilience in children and young people are enhanced by the whole-school approach and the teachers' work on developing certain skills. The whole school approach consists of a positive school environment, where self-qualities are developed and intervention programs for mental health wellness are delivered. Teachers use a) organizational features such as a sense of optimism, purpose, and school pride and the establishment of effective school-community partnership; b) relational features such as the creation of a supportive and understanding learning environment, the fostering of a positive teacher-student relationship, support school-home relationships, and enhancement of positive peer relationships; c) pedagogical features such as using a well-organised curriculum, applying extra-curriculum activities, and offering information, awareness raising, and advocacy to stimulate children's mental resilience.