Depression

For schools

Teachers are well placed to notice the changes caused by depression which will be picked up through their understanding of student’s responses.

Teachers, depending on their relationship with the student, are also more likely to be a probable first port of call either by the student concerned or, more often, by their friends.

Four facts in four areas

BEHAVIOUR

  • Changes in school performance, for example, dropping grades, slow, difficulty sticking to deadlines
  • Increased absences from school, may find coming into school in the morning difficult
  • Lack of engagement
  • May become more challenging behaviourally – irritability, anger, truanting, self-harm, risk behaviour

  • Changes in weight and appetite
  • May avoid physical activity
  • Appears tired and without energy
  • May present with a lot more physical illness, aches and pains, absences from school due to illness

  • Looks sad and withdrawn
  • Less able to concentrate and memory changes
  • Easily irritable and angry
  • More easily tearful

  • Friends may present with concerns
  • Withdrawal from social groups, not joining in social activities
  • Forming new and transient friendships
  • Not contributing to group work or in class

Four steps to change

Support the child or young person through the following steps:

ACKNOWLEDGE

  • Acknowledge that there is a problem and that it’s something that will benefit from early change. This may mean engaging the family and/or the GP in the treatment plan

  • Encourage self-care – sensible sleep times, eating regularly, activity
  • Suggest they learn breathing techniques and it might help them to get them to keep a diary of negative or self-defeating thoughts
  • Encourage keeping regular contact with friends. Contact parents/make a referral as necessary

  • Encourage them to keep up self-care and to note changes
  • Encourage them to keep talking – to friends, to someone who can help – you may need to make a referral or meet up regularly yourself

  • Depression takes time to change but responds very well to psychological treatment. Encourage that they keep putting into practice the changes that they have been asked to implement and keep a copy of these changes so that you can monitor. Make sure relapse is monitored and dealt with as soon as possible

What can schools do?

Four suggestions for change

  • Include talks on depression within the PSHE curriculum and offer teacher training and support
  • Have a clear and effective system to support a student who presents with a mood disorder
  • Allocate a named teacher and peer supporter from a core team of trained staff to be available should help be needed. Children and young people who are depressed need to be assessed for risk so having a professional they can consult in case of concern is important
  • Establish links with local services and know what the referral pathways are. Get a professional to help assess and make recommendations

Visit our Further Advice page for details of other organisations that can help.

How to help

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