How can we Improve the Physical and Social Environment of the School to Promote Student Resilience? Evidence from the Resilient Children and Communities Project in China

Abstract

Debate on the relationship between mental health and environment is of long standing. Resilience, as a core aspect of mental health promotion, has been described as the interaction between risk and protective factors present in the environment (Rutter, 1987). Central to the concept is that protective factors — those factors in the individual or the environment that enhance an individual's ability to resist problems and deal with life's stresses — can be fostered and promoted. The paper specifies aspects of the school environment in a holistic, or ecological setting, drawing on a multi-strategy health promotion project in primary schools in Hefei and Nanjing in China. A prospective intervention study design was used to collect data in pre-intervention and post-intervention phases, and to analyse it to establish the effectiveness of the intervention in improving the health-promoting environment in Chinese primary schools. The results indicate a significant intervention effect on the physical and social school environment in primary schools, and these results can be used in forthcoming comprehensive work to improve school mental health and well-being.

Keywords:

• school environment
• health-promoting environment
• health-promoting school
• resilience
• mental health promotion