IT TAKES A VILLAGE: Supporting young people’s mental health together Why giving parents, teachers and other trusted adults practical mental health first aid skills can make it easier for a young person to speak and to find the right support.
WRITTEN BY DR MECKY MCNEIL
person mentions suicide? And how can an adult help without taking over? Those questions helped create a collaborative learning environment grounded in a shared commitment to notice, listen and act.
staff had gathered in the training room, ready to learn how to support a young person who may be struggling with their mental health. They brought warmth, experience and difficult real-life questions. What do you say when a student withdraws from friends, stops handing in work or seems constantly on edge? When should normal adolescent change cause concern? What if a young
On a cool early-summer evening, I arrived in the beautiful Engadin village of Zuoz. Church bells and distant cowbells carried across mountain meadows, with the surrounding peaks rising beyond them. The next morning, I walked uphill to Lyceum Alpinum Zuoz to begin a three-day training course. In the corridors, I heard students speaking German, English and Italian. An international group of teachers and school
WHY THE ADULTS AROUND YOUNG PEOPLE MATTER
Mental health problems in adolescence are common. The World Health Organization
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN 2026 | 58
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