Schools are citing an increase in the prevalence of mental health concerns in students across K-12 and are managing complex presentations including supporting students presenting with self-harm and/or suicidality.
According to an article by headspace, when reviewing the burden of disability and mortality rates in young people, self-self-harm and suicide account for a considerable portion.
Results from the APS Survey released in November 2022 shared insights from more than one thousand Australian psychologists working with children and young people. Across the three age groups identified (18 months to 5 years, 6-12 years and 13-18 years) there were significant increases in mental illness and disorders across a range of symptoms. Specifically, there was a 50% increase noted in suicidality or self-harm in the 13-18 age group.
School counsellors are often central to a school’s response, and increasingly provide essential ongoing support, to students who are managing mental health difficulties.
Dr Paul Fung, Deputy Commissioner with the NSW Mental Health Commission recognises the unique role of a school counsellor and the importance of ongoing quality professional development. He notes that school counsellors, “understand the setting, understand the governance issues and have that therapeutic lens.”
Through his work, Dr Fung has identified a significant rise in adolescent self-harm and suicidal ideation since the COVID-19 pandemic, and at the same time, a reduction in the accessibility of private psychology services.
This, and several other factors, have contributed to a situation where schools are having to manage more mental health complexity than ever before.
“Every case has become a complex case,” says Dr Fung.
“Gone are the days of simply sitting there and expecting to do some counselling or some simple therapy with the person in front of you. It’s clearly insufficient. The problems recur."
As school counsellors navigate this complex landscape, Dr Fung has three top tips for counsellors:
- Lean into the complexity
- “accept that this is part of the daily work and so therefore you will hopefully feel less burnt out, less resentful and less frustrated as a result.”
- Always think about what systems issues are at play when you’re stuck
- “look to see if there is a systems issue at play that could be contributing to the stuck-ness or contributing to the system being stuck and the young person being disengaged.”
- Ask whether you need a transdiagnostic approach or a diagnostic approach in different circumstances
- “for instance, having a young person who is in a developmental transitionary period, where their symptoms don’t fit into a particular diagnostic category, being ok with having a transdiagnostic approach… not feeling like you’ve got to diagnose them with something, but that you can just address some of the symptoms, think about their functioning, think about their family and the context they’re floating in.”
Dr Fung will provide a feature presentation at the upcoming 2023 AISNSW School Counsellors’ Conference in May on Thursday 25 – Friday 26 May at the Hunter Valley. Also hear from Carmen Betteridge who will discuss a Suicide Risk Assessment and the key components of Safety Planning with students.
