Educators to help children and young people in mental crisis
– It is important to detect the problem at an early stage. Teachers and parents should be able to recognize the first signals of a crisis and know how and where to seek help – says psychiatrist Dr. Przemysław Sieracki.
In March, the Provincial Psychiatric Hospital in Gdańsk Wrzeszcz will begin a series of 20 workshops for teachers, psychologists and caregivers. They will be led by psychiatrist Dr. Przemysław Sieracki and Anna Czarnowska, spokesperson for the Gdańsk hospital, member of the Pomeranian Mental Health Council, coordinator of the project "Better Future - Counteracting Mental Disorders in Children and Youth". The workshops are co-financed by the LPP Foundation.
The presenters will visit schools, clinics and care facilities in all counties of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, from Gdańsk to smaller towns. As Anna Czarnowska emphasizes, there is a great need in the teaching community to acquire knowledge in the field of mental health.
- Education is key to preventing suicidal acts among children and young people. Educators often do not know whether a child is experiencing temporary sadness or struggling with depression. They are not always able to distinguish a bad day from a chronic condition. We want them to be able to react at an early stage, before a child ends up in hospital, e.g. after a suicide attempt. Hospitalization should always be the last resort - says Anna Czarnowska.
According to the spokeswoman, many crises can be resolved at school, in the peer environment, and in the family: "Unfortunately, we are also observing a huge decline in parenting skills. Children increasingly talk about loneliness in the family environment. That is why we want the training materials to reach parents as well," she emphasizes.
In addition, the hospital has developed five short educational films on various mental health topics. They are used in parenting classes and also made available to parents through educational platforms.
– Environmental education can have a real impact on improving the situation. Every suicide is a tragedy, but statistics show that we are heading in the right direction – emphasizes the coordinator of the “Better Future” project.
He adds that according to the latest data, last year the number of suicide attempts among children and adolescents up to 18 years of age in the Pomeranian Voivodeship decreased by 86 cases, and the number of successful suicides decreased by two compared to 2023.
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