Carmel Cefai and Paul Cooper (editors) : Mental health promotion in schools : cross-cultural narratives and perspectives [book review]

Abstract

This book is effectively a collection of papers by some well-known authors with a largely regional focus, the Mediterranean, and Australia in particular. It is divided into three parts covering the perspectives of students, teachers, and parents on mental health issues in relation to educational settings. These three parts are preceded by an introductory section that deals with some fundamental issues in the area of social, emotional, behaviour difficulties (SEBD). The term ‘mental health’ covers a wide range of situations stretching from temporary circumstances knowing their origin to factors in the child’s or young person’s environment to psychiatric conditions that usually start manifesting themselves in adolescence. In this introductory section, Paul Cooper makes a strong case for the polymorphic nature of SEBD and the need for flexibility in addressing the issues involved. He maintains that there is a plethora of psychological families of empirically supported approaches to address the issues. He also lists a number of teacher characteristics that go a long way towards making the whole process of managing such difficulties effective. As always, when dealing with vulnerable persons, a balanced measure of scientific intervention and human sensitivity, sympathy and warmth increases the possibility of effective intervention. Education may use scientific methods but will always need to rely on the human interface that can never be substituted.