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Using health and well-being data to support improvements in mental health in schools
Welcome to the SHINE April 2024 Newsletter
- Registration closing Fri 26th April: SHINE National Network Event 2024
- Patterns of bullying, violence & substance use: 2nd & 3rd volumes of the HBSC International Report launched
- Maurice Bloch lecture by Dr Suzanne Zeedyk chaired by SHINE on 17th April
- Notice about SHINE Mental Health survey current access arrangements
- Invitation to participate in SHINE affiliated research projects
- NEW: Neurodiversity in Scottish Schools
- CLOCK OFF - access to free sleep training for your school
- National evaluation of the Equally Safe at School programme
- Other events and research opportunities for school communities:
- Workshop invitation: Intergenerational connections to promote health & wellbeing
- Study seeking to recruit young people to study loneliness
- Participate in a survey about about the body clock and mental health
- SOCITS: Socially Situated Systems approach to adolescent mental health
SHINE National Network Event 2024 - registration closing 26th April
"Using HWB data evidence in school improvement planning to support positive health outcomes for young people"
Thursday 2nd May 2024 09.30am -15.30pm at the Clarice Pears Building, School of Health and Wellbeing, 90 Byres Road, Glasgow G12 8TB
Last change to register!
We are very much looking forward to welcoming delegates to the SHINE National Network Event next week. There are only 8 delegate spaces left to be snapped up before registration closes tomorrow on 26th April at 5pm.
The network event is the highlight of the SHINE calendar where we bring together teachers, educational practitioners and health researchers to share ideas and practice, learn from each other, discuss health priorities in schools and enjoy some space & time to reflect on and be proactive in planning for health improvements for young people.
We have some insightful speakers lined up to share their academic research as well as teachers sharing inspiring case studies of using HWB data to support improvement planning. We will have 2 interactive sessions allowing delegates the time to discuss ideas with each other, share practice and consider how research knowledge and expertise can be integrated to maximum effect to support improvement planning in schools.
The final programme is now available. We look forward to welcoming you on the day!
Patterns of bullying, violence & substance use: 2nd & 3rd volumes of the HBSC International report launched
The World Health Organization (WHO) has published the second volume of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) international report, which focuses on patterns of bullying and peer violence. HBSC monitors the health behaviours and social environments of nearly 280,000 boys and girls aged 11, 13 and 15 years from 44 countries in Europe and Central Asia.
While the overall trends in school bullying have remained stable since 2018, cyberbullying has increased, magnified by the increasing digitalisation of young people’s interactions, with potentially profound impacts on young lives.
One in six school-aged children experiences cyberbullying, while 1 in 8 report cyberbullying others. Boys (14%) are more likely to report cyberbullying than girls (9%).
Launched today, 25th April, is the third volume of the HBSC International report which focuses on trends in smoking, vaping, drinking and drug use amongst adolescents.
The study found that nearly a quarter (23%) of boys aged 15 in Scotland surveyed said they had tried Cannabis at some point. The report confirms that vaping rates have overtaken cigarette smoking in most countries, with nearly one in ten 11-year-olds saying they've used a vape at least once, rising to 26% of boys and 40% of girls by age 15. While levels of alcohol consumption have declined among adolescents in recent decades, rates of drunkenness in the UK were high, particularly among girls, compared with other European countries.
You can read the full report and associated BBC and University of Glasgow press articles to find out more.
Maurice Bloch Lecture by Dr Suzanne Zeedyk chaired by SHINE on 17th April
On 17th April, the SHINE team were delighted to host Dr Suzanne Zeedyk who presented a lecture on the science of connection as part of the Maurice Bloch lecture series at the School of Health and Wellbeing. Attendees were treated to an inspirational journey through Suzanne's work in bringing the science of connection to the attention of the public and, in particular, working with schools to further knowledge about the importance of relationships not just to mental health but also physical health and development.
Translating science for the general public to make it accessible can be challenging at times. Suzanne's insights and
experiences were very much welcomed by attendees. SHINE was delighted to chair the event, which reinforced the core SHINE aim to bring together health researchers and teachers to support the use and understanding of health research in schools. It was particularly fitting that Suzanne was nominated to give the lecture by Lynn Alexander from Bannerman High School. Lynn was seconded to work with SHINE for 6 months in 2021 and was inspired by her time in the Social and Public Sciences Unit, which facilitated access to wider health research, academic papers and the Maurice Bloch lecture series.
Find out more about the science of connection: https://connectedbaby.net/
Important notice for members about schools' access to the SHINE mental health - current access arrangements
Please note that we are currently upgrading the system which runs the SHINE Mental Health survey. The new system will be ready in September 2024. In the meantime, we will operate restricted access to the survey in the summer term 2024 up until May 31st due to the upgrades. The survey will not be operational in June. If you had planned to use the survey in the summer term, please contact the Network Manager directly by email at Dawn.Haughton@glasgow.ac.uk to discuss the possibilities and timing.
Invitation to participate in SHINE affiliated research projects
Trial a new intervention, evaluate a programme or test a new method of collecting data. Work with researchers in your school to find solutions to YP HWB challenges.
"Calling All Teachers: Join Our Study on Neurodiversity in Scottish Schools!
Are you a teacher in a Scottish school and interested in taking part in a research study about creating inclusive classrooms? The University of Glasgow invites educators of all grades and experience levels to participate in a qualitative study as part of the Neurodiversity in Scottish Schools (NISS) project.
We aim to understand how teachers identify and support neurodivergent children, uncovering both facilitators and barriers to their learning experience. Your insights will shape future strategies for fostering inclusive environments where every child can thrive.
Participation is simple: engage in a 45-minute online interview at a time convenient for you. Your valuable perspective will help drive positive change in educational practices across Scotland.
To sign up or learn more, contact Jason Lang at Jason.Lang@glasgow.ac.uk. Together, let's empower our classrooms to embrace neurodiversity and unlock the full potential of every student."
If you would like to discuss this opportunity, please contact the Principal Investigator: kirstin.mitchell@glasgow.ac.uk . Kirstin will be delighted to walk you through what's involved for schools.
Invitation to join the National Evaluation of the Equally Safe at School (ESAS) programme in secondary schools.
Many Scottish schools are dealing with the fall-out from misogynistic influencers such as Andrew Tate, or are struggling with an increase in disclosures of sexual harassment. ESAS is designed to help schools build a positive culture in which staff and students work together on these issues. Designed by Rape Crisis it takes a whole school approach, strongly complements MVP, and is free to schools. ESAS involves a self-assessment, staff training, a student-led action group and curriculum and policy review.
The national evaluation is being run by a research team at the University of Glasgow. For more information click here.
The ESAS team will be presenting some of their findings so far, alongside a DHT and PTPS from Selkirk High School who will be sharing their ESAS case study at the SHINE National Network Event on 2nd May.
Other research events and opportunities for school communities
Invitation to Workshop: Intergenerational connections to promote health and wellbeing
Are you interested in bringing different generations together to promote health and wellbeing? Come along to our agenda setting workshop at the University of Glasgow. The day is a chance to meet with others interested in new ways of working. There will be talks from practitioners including Braehead Primary School and Crosslet Nursing Home, MCR pathways and the International Club at Wellington Church, as well as university researchers. There will be lots of opportunities for networking and discussion. The event is free.
Date and Time: Monday 29th April, 10am-4pm
Venue: One A The Square, University of Glasgow
Study seeking to recruit young people to study loneliness
The Generation Scotland team are delighted to announce the launch of their 'Loneliness in the Digital World' study (https://www.gslonelinessteens.com/), co-produced by young people.
This study uses novel technology to track feelings of loneliness and mood, to help uncover how different types of online/offline interaction affect youth mental health. The study was covered on STV news: https://news.stv.tv/v/study-seeking-to-recruit-youngers-to-study-loneliness. More details available here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/2024/teen-study-to-track-loneliness-in-the-digital-age
Please get in touch for more info, email genscot@ed.ac.uk, or say hello at the SHINE conference!
We want to know what questions about mental health and the body clock are important to you.
You can take part in our survey to let us know your questions about mental health & the body clock.
Body Clocks are rhythms inside our bodies and brain which are essential to many of our physical and mental functions. These internal clocks help to prepare our bodies and minds to best align with our environment - they can prepare our bodies and minds for when we should eat, be active, be alert, rest, sleep, wake up.... These clocks react to our environment and can change when our environment does.
We are discovering more about the importance of the relationships between mental health and the body clock and how changes and disruptions to our body clock can impact our mental health. When we face difficulties with our mental health, our body clocks can also be disturbed.
Has a disrupted body clock impacted your mental health? Or has your mental health impacted your body clock? What questions would you like answered concerning mental health and the body clock?
You can have your say in what research should be focusing on. We want to know what questions about mental health and the body clock are important to you. This will help to shape future research so that we can help answer the question important to you. Scan the QR code to take the survey:
For more information, or to contact us anonymously with any questions, please visit the Circadian Mental Health Network website: https://www.circadianmentalhealth.org/haveyoursay
Survey link: https://forms.office.com/e/1SL5GjMPtt
Video link: https://youtu.be/a5qp5AHFeHA
Who, what, where & why of stress and loneliness in schools. Invitation to join SOCITS.
The SOCITS project (a Socially Situated Systems approach to adolescent mental health) aims to find out which places, interactions and social situations in school are associated with stress, loneliness, and poor mental health. This information can inform whole school approaches to mental health.
Using novel survey measures, SOCITS will ask questions such as: Which situations in school cause the most loneliness? Do certain groups of students find specific situations more or less stressful? Do peer groups amplify or reduce exam stress?
Participating schools invite all students from the same year group (e.g. all S1, S3 or S6) to fill in an online survey in a single period. Two follow up surveys will explore the causes of stress and loneliness in more detail as well as looking at changes in mental health.
SOCITS schools will receive individual reports, and the SOCITS team can facilitate staff-student workshops in your school to discuss study findings and inform health improvement plans.
All the best,
The SHINE Team
Dawn Haughton
Schools Health and Wellbeing Improvement Research Network (SHINE) Manager
E-mail: Dawn.Haughton@glasgow.ac.uk
Web: www.gla.ac.uk/shine
Twitter: @ScotlandSHINE
