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Date:  17 July 2007

Jewish Care runs mental health workshops at Immanuel College

Jewish Care’s mental health and educational development team – both staff and service-users – ran workshops for Year 10 students at Immanuel College in Bushey. Around 60 students watched a drama presentation on ‘Managing Pressures and Expectations’ and attended workshops. This involved role play and finding solutions; students also heard first-hand accounts from service-users who have experienced mental heath issues such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Carolyn Conway, of Jewish Care’s mental health team, said: “The students participated enthusiastically and were visibly moved by our clients’ stories. We spoke about exam results, fitting in with friends, bullying, eating disorders and self esteem. We talked about the important role that parents play in helping students to feel good about themselves and what to do if one of your friends has depression.”

She added: “Everyone is different – but if you are feeling overwhelmed the key is first to get help and not try to manage on your own.”

Students were unanimous in their support of the session and the importance of bringing mental health issues to the community’s attention – but opinions varied. Aliza Askar, 14, described the session as “really good, I got very involved. But I was not particularly surprised to hear the stories as mental health problems are getting a lot more common.”

Drew Somerston, 15, added: “It has taught me a lot about a subject that I didn’t know much about. If you have more understanding then you will be more inclined to help [someone with mental health issues.]

The school is strong on pastoral care and has a counsellor on site. Upper school head, Galia Segal, noted the session’s relevance. She said: “As GSCE pupils, this is one of the most stressful times in their school careers. It was useful for the pupils to receive ideas on how to approach their stress.”