An innovative wellbeing programme, which targets young primary school children, has been piloted in three Galway schools.
The first dedicated mental health promotion initiative of its type, it was run at Scoil na Trionoide Naofa in Mervue, Scoil An Chroi Naofa, Newcastle Road, and Scoil An Chroi Naofa in Ballinasloe. The progamme, called “Zippy’s Friends”, was piloted in 40 primary schools in the west by the HSE and the Department of Education.
Aimed at five-to seven-year-olds of all abilities, it teaches young children how to develop skills to cope with problems which may occur in adolescence and adulthood. Pupils learn how to deal with everyday difficulties, to identify and talk about their feelings and explore ways of dealing with them.
Mary Kilraine Hannon, health promotion officer with the HSE West, says the programme gave the children an opportunity to interact with other children and their teacher in different ways.
“They developed skills on how to communicate effectively with others, how to deal with issues such as conflict, change and loss, and they learned ways to find solutions to their own problems.”
Mary O’Sullivan, suicide resource officer with the HSE West, says people want to give their children the best start in life.
“They want to help them grow up to be happy, well-balanced and resilient adults who are able to cope and thrive with the inevitable ups and downs of life. The family and the school play a huge part in nourishing and protecting a child’s mental health and giving them a sense of belonging, of being loved, valued, trusted, understood and feeling safe, as well as encouraging their natural curiosity about life and giving them the tools that will support their wellness.”
She says investing in programmes, such as Zippy’s Friends, which support children’s coping skills, will ensure that we have more resilient teenagers.
They will know how to seek help when they are struggling and be better able to manage their lives, relationships and careers.”
Aleisha Clarke, researcher with the Health Promotion Research Centre at NUI Galway, carried out an evaluation of the programme on behalf of the HSE and the Department of Education. The findings indicated the programme had a significant positive effect on the children’s emotional literacy skills, with improvements in their self-awareness, motivation, empathy, and social skills. They also indicated a significant decrease in the hyperactivity levels of the children who received the programme in comparison to those in the control group.
The teachers also commented on the improvement in the children’s verbal communication skills, their ability to manage their feelings and in the children’s relationships with each other.
Training for primary school teachers will be held in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon later this autumn. For further information contact Mary Kilraine Hannon at the Health Promotion Department, HSE West at (091 ) 548319.
