Lecture by Professor Neil Humphrey (University of Manchester) Are the kids alright? Examining the intersection between education and mental health

Children’s mental health services have experienced major cuts since 2010. In parallel, our education system has undergone a period of significant transformation. In this presentation, I will discuss the implications of these developments for the mental health of children and young people. This includes examination of the differing ways in which mental health is conceptualised, the often contradictory positions schools are required to adopt in relation to their role in promoting mental health, assumed truths about evidence-based interventions, and what research can (and cannot) tell us about changes in the prevalence of mental health difficulties among children and young people over time. In exploring these important issues and debates, I will encourage those attending to consider whether we are, in fact, on the brink of a public health crisis for which schools may provide a means of resolution, or if the current focus on children’s mental health in education is simply the latest generational ‘child panic’.

Neil Humphrey is Professor of Psychology of Education and Head of the Manchester Institute of Education at the University of Manchester.  His research interests include mental health, social and emotional learning, and special educational needs (particularly autism spectrum conditions).  Neil's work in these areas has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, Education Endowment Foundation, National Institute for Health Research, and others.  He has published his work in journals including Prevention Science, the Journal of School Psychology, and Development and Psychopathology.  At evenings and weekends, Neil moonlights as a free taxi service for his three daughters.

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