A review of school approaches to increasing pupil resilience
| Date | 18 March 2019 |
| Published date | 18 March 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JPMH-03-2018-0020 |
| Pages | 26-37 |
| Author | Victoria Neville,Trish Joscelyne,Jo Chester |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Public mental health |
A review of school approaches to
increasing pupil resilience
Victoria Neville, Trish Joscelyne and Jo Chester
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the literature on whole school approaches to increasing
resilience in pupils. This is pertinent with the increase in children and young people’s mental health needs
creating extra pressure on schools to foster young people’s ability to withstand stress and adversity. Whilst
previous research works have considered the ways in which schools support their pupils, the extent to which
resilience has been reliably measured has varied. Recently, several validated resilience measures have been
developed which allows for potentially more robust research to take place. This systematic review therefore
summarises and critiques the literature exploring whole school approaches to resilience development only
where a validated measure has been used. In total, 11 studies were reviewed and demonstrate that there is a
trend between school factors and pupil resilience. The importance of supportive relationships with both peers
and staff in school is highlighted in several studies as well as the positive effect of including a robust health
promoting school’s agenda situated within local communities. However, the number of limitations identified
within the current literature suggests that this review is not able to offer clear recommendations to schools.
This review will, however, be helpful to schools, local authorities and the government in allowing them to take
more of a critical stance in understanding resilience within a school context.
Design/methodology/approach –A total of 11 critically evaluated studies were reviewed and demonstrate
that there is a trend between school factors and pupil resilience.
Findings –The importance of supportive relationships with both peers and staff in school is highlighted in
several studies as well as the positive effect of including a robust health promoting school’s agenda situated
within local communities.
Research limitations/implications –However, the number of limitations identified within the current
literaturesuggests that this reviewis not able to offer clear recommendations to schools.There are no studies in
the UK usingvalidated resiliency questionnaires as part oftheir evaluation and this is a limitationto the literature.
Originality/value –This review will, however, be helpful to schools, local authorities and the government in
allowing them to take more of a critical stance in understanding resilience within a school context.
This is particularly relevant when considering the needs of evaluation before the implementation of new
school programmes.
Keywords Education, School, Resilience, Child and adolescent mental health, Socio-ecological theory
Paper type Literature review
Introduction
Mental health of children and young people
A total of 10 per cent of children and adolescents are reported to have difficulties that would meet
criteria for mental health diagnosis (Children’s Society, 2008) leading to increasing demands on
children’s mental health services at a time of gradual “dis-investment”in children’s services (NHS
Benchmarking Network, 2013). The disparity between need and resources has led to a renewed
focus on preventing distress rather than the reactive use of resources (Mental Health Taskforce,
2016). One way to reduce distress is to increase access to environments that increase young
people’s resilience. For many young people, school can be such an environment. With the
government recently explicitly outlining schools’responsibility to promote resilience (Department
for Education, 2016), this review will explore the evidence that schools can increase young
people’s resources in a way that might be associated with resilience.
Received 27 March 2018
Revised 30 October 2018
Accepted 19 November 2018
Victoria Neville and
Trish Joscelyne are both
based at Salomons Centre,
Canterbury Christ Church
University, Royal Tunbridge
Wells, UK.
Jo Chester is based at Meadow
School, Southborough, UK.
PAG E 26
j
JOURNAL OF PUBLIC MENTAL HEALTH
j
VOL. 18 NO. 1 2019, pp. 26-37, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1746-5729 DOI 10.1108/JPMH-03-2018-0020
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