Why I believe there should be mental health education in schools

by NeuroGirl Rebecca

Recently, I was asked to give a talk at a University of Sheffield summer conference on public engagement as part of my work as a Sheffield NeuroGirl.  

I began my talk by asking everyone to get to their feet. With some muttered confusion, everyone did as they were asked (I still love how that works!). I then asked anyone who either had, or knew someone with a mental illness to sit back down again. Amazingly, only two people were left standing.  This is by no means an unusual state of affairs. We know that one in four people will experience some kind ofmental health problem in this year alone including 10% of all children. A breakdown in a healthy brain is also indiscriminate in who it targets too, mental health problems can affect rich and poor, all races and both sexes. The sad case of the recent suicide of Robin Williams shows that even celebrities, who have tangible proof of how their lives touch so many and give much joy, can take their own life when struggling with ill mental health. 

Why then, is there still so little education on the brain and how it works in schools? Why are there not lessons that teach children what our brains do and why they might go wrong? Surely, if mental health is going to be an issue that will touch us all at some point throughout our lives it behoves the government to educate the future generations that will have to deal with this on this problem? That way, they will have the best chance and the best tools for being able to cope with the issues they will almost certainly face.  As a neuroscientist, I’m only too aware of all the problems a brain can face throughout its lifetime, but along with that awareness comes a sense of normality about mental ill health. I know that depression could be caused by a deficit in a neurotransmitter called serotonin. I know that problems with an area of the brain called the caudate putamen can cause OCD. I also know that these failures are biological failures that can be caused by a wide variety of factors, psychological and physical. But the main point is, many people and many children do not know. Believe it or not, some people still believe that ill mental health is a punishment from God. Or that if ‘they’ just tried hard enough, ‘they’ could snap out of it. And ignorance about mental health can lead to bullying, prejudice, fear and heartache. It can lead to resistance in those suffering to seek the help that can be given and to those around the sufferer feeling scared and worried about talking about the problems that they see.

 

A simple program of education in schools could help to bring about a real change in society. It could help to provide a long term solution to the problem of ignorance about mental health. I will continue to go into local schools and talk to children about the brain and mental health but unless I can crack time travel once and for all, a better national solution is required.  It’s time for the brain itself to go on the curriculum.

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Heckles, Dolphins and Quizzes - The NeuroGirls venture into community schools

I’ll admit it, of all the things I thought might happen during my illustrious and highly glamorous career as a neuroscience PhD student, being heckled by a thirteen year old shouting “GABA”, was not on my list.

It all began when bright eyed and bushy tailed in my first year, I turned to the other girls in my office. “Hey! They want speakers for schools, maybe we should do a brain talk together?” The other girls agreed and the NeuroGirls were born.

Our first talk that first year was dreadful in a feeling-sick, scared-of-thousands-of-tiny-possibly-mean-children kind of way. We narrowly escaped the teachers ditching us with the children and skiving off for a cup of tea and a natter with the librarian! Although we’d had some training and were covered by STEM ambassador insurance, we explained that as we were not trained teachers we therefore should not be left alone with the many many (ok probably about 30) kiddies… 

Credit: Robert Harding Picture Library / SuperStock 

That first moment before you launch into your talk is scary no matter what you are speaking about and who you are speaking to. We had a sea of bright young faces, mostly looking interested and ready to be entertained! I gulped, wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans and launched forth about the mysteries of the wonderful cerebellum and why exactly it enabled David Beckham to score all his goals and allowed dolphins to jump through hoops of burning fire.

The kiddies were entranced. Ok, the squirrel video might have helped. But having enthusiasm for your subject helps bucket loads too. This year, we set ourselves a tougher goal. Seven talks instead of four. Year 9-11s instead of lovely year 7s. Gulp.

So, we decided to provide a little incentive for our audience. We made a quiz! A lovely brain quiz with, and this is important to those teenage blighters, prizes. We each talked for about 10 minutes, then did 5 questions on what we’d spoken about. It worked like a charm, even the sulkiest of adolencents perked up! However, one of my questions was “Name a neurotransmitter”. And so, back to the heckling! And, dear reader, it didn’t just happen the once. I was heckled with GABA on multiple occasions. After the first time, I could hear the other two girls cracking up behind me. Charming…

I must say though, the heckling hasn’t put me off the talks at all. All three of us are keener than ever to go back again next year. Maybe we’ll do nine schools this year, who knows?? Because engaging with kids, telling them about what you do and why you love it  is one of the favourite parts of my job. And if I help even one of those students            NeuroGirls at Birley Community College          with a decision about what to study in the future, it’s worth it. 

Being positive female role models in science doesn’t hurt either.