Grundskolan som stödjande miljö för elevers psykisk hälsa

: En kvalitativ studie utifrån e levhälsans perspektiv

Abstract

Introduction: Mental illness is a current and growing problem in the society. Since the mid-1980s mental illnesss has increased among children and young people. From public health perspective schools are therefore an important arena for the preventive and health-promoting work for mental health. Aim: The aim is to study elementary school as a supportive environment for pupils' mental health from the perspective of school health services in Region Stockholm. Method: Thes tudy has been conducted with a qualitative inductive approach based on a strategic selection of ten individual semi-structured interviews with representatives from different school health teams. The empirical data was analyzed with the support of a qualitative content analysis. Results: The results are summarized in the categories: Pupil’s perspective, contextual factors, systematic strategies, and working methods. The pupil’s perspective shows the importance of creating relationships with the pupils to succeed with health promotion and preventive work for mental health. The contextual factors illustrate the major differences that exist between schools and thus schools' different conditions for succeeding with their pupil’s health work. The differences are repeatedly attributed to the leadership and organization as well as what resources the schools have available when it comes to health work. Under systematic strategies and working methods, the results show the need for systematic methods for working with mental health that can be used by all schools. Conclusion: Health promotion and preventive measures in schools can strengthen pupils' protective factors, reduce the incidence of mental illness, and create a favorable social development. Schools can compensate and create more equal opportunities for pupils with different conditions by increasing pupils' resilience to stressors and increasing their resilience through health literacy and coping strategies. To be able to implement these strategies equally in all schools in Sweden, proven methods based on science are needed as well as clear directives on how to enforce leadership to work for a health promoting school.

Date of Award	2023-Jun
Original language	Swedish
Supervisor	Åsa Bringsén (Supervisor) & Petra Nilsson Lindström (Examiner)