(Latin Amer./Caribbean) Experts ask for "...urgent increase in resources" in mental health for youth

Feb 12, 2018, (Latin America and Caribbean) InfoSurHoy.com: Mental health provision in schools at crisis point, research finds http://www.infosurhoy.com/cocoon/saii/xhtml/en_GB/health/mental-health-provision-in-schools-at-crisis-point-research-finds/ Experts have called for a significant and urgent increase in resources to support the mental health of young people in schools, after a study uncovered a perfect storm of increased need and decreased provision. The study explored the impact of current policies on the mental health work that school staff are involved in. The results showed that young people are increasingly talking to school staff about mental health issues …but there are fewer resources available, and staff feel under-equipped to deal with the increasing level of emotional concerns. The researchers believe that this will potentially lead to an increase in the number of teachers leaving the profession. … … Mental health awareness courses have been suggested for those working in schools, but the researchers say that these are not a substitute for qualified mental health professionals. … “The recent green paper does not, in our eyes, go anywhere near far enough—without the addition of qualified professionals, schools are likely to end up dealing with increasingly complex issues without the resource of trained staff to deal with them.”