From Targeted Interventions to Universal Approaches: Historicizing Wellbeing

Abstract

Concern about high rates of mental health disorders amongst young people has underwritten a proliferation of social and educational policy aimed at improving youth wellbeing. This chapter examines educational concerns with mental health through a critical analysis of wellbeing as an object of educational policy and practice. It begins by considering the construction of mental health as an educational problem, in the past and in the present, and the policy solutions that have been developed in order to address this. It then explores how rising concern with the wellbeing of young people has fostered a shift from the historically narrow educational focus on targeted interventionsfor students experiencing problems or identified as being at risk of mental health difficultiesto the more recent emphasis on universal approaches and preventative programs. The chapter concludes with some reflections on the seductive power of ideas of prevention and "psychological immunization" and considers the implications of this for contemporary educational policy and practice, and ultimately for understanding and promoting youth wellbeing.

The Paradoxes of Socio-Emotional Programmes in School : Young people’s perspectives and public health discourses

“…The programmes are then delivered in group settings using a universal approach -e.g. targeted at children in general or girls in general -and are commonly practised as an ordinary class at school (For further reading on socio-emotional programmes, see Hultin and Bartholdsson, 2015;Coppock, 2011;Watson et al, 2012;Wright, 2015).…”

“…6 Public health is a multidisciplinary science and a policy-driven practice, which are interlinked by a joint mission to maintain and improve the health of the population (McMichael, and Beaglehole, 2009). 7 In the literature, various terms have been used to refer to these interventions: 'socioemotional programmes' (e.g., Bartholdsson, Gustafsson-Lundberg, and Hultin, 2014b), 'social and emotional well-being' SEWB in education (Watson, Emery, and Bayliss, 2012), 'psychotherapeutic education programmes' (e.g., Coppock, 2011), 'cognitive behavioural programmes' (e.g., Dahlstedt, Fejes and Schönning, 2011), 'preventive programmes' (Wright, 2015) and 'prevention and promotion programmes' (e.g., Bergh and Englund, 2014). To avoid confusion, I have chosen to use one of these terms: socio-emotional programmes.…”

“…Coppock, 2011;Wright, 2015). Over the past decades, a large number of reports from governmental authorities, organizations and the media have suggested a drastic decline in young people's mental health, especially in girls' mental health, and a general understanding has emerged that young people's mental health is deteriorating (Bremberg and Dalman, 2015;Petersen et al, 2010).…”

“…Over the past decades, a large number of reports from governmental authorities, organizations and the media have suggested a drastic decline in young people's mental health, especially in girls' mental health, and a general understanding has emerged that young people's mental health is deteriorating (Bremberg and Dalman, 2015;Petersen et al, 2010). As a consequence, young people's mental (ill) health has been highly prioritized on the political agenda in Sweden (see Socialdepartementet, 2002), and elsewhere (Coppock, 2011;Watson et al, 2012;Wright, 2015). Against this backdrop, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the public health agencies in Sweden, as well as in many other countries, have become strong advocates for implementing universal preventive programmes in schools (WHO, 2015;Folkhälsoinstitutet, 2006;Folkhälsomyndigheten, 2015;Wright, 2015).…”

“…These studies scrutinize both the content and form of socio-emotional programmes and examine their political and ideological function in contemporary schools (e.g., Bartholdsson, Gustafsson-Lundberg and Hultin, 2014a;Bergh and Englund 2014;Coppock, 2011;Dahlstedt, Fejes and Schönning, 2011;Irisdotter Aldenmyr, 2014a;Wright, 2015). This field of research is dominated by policy studies and document analysis of programme manuals.…”