How to support students with psychotic disorders
Schools and colleges play a significant role in the early detection of mental health problems, which allows for comprehensive intervention as soon as possible. But it is also important to welcome students back to school after a period in which they have had to temporarily leave their classmates. In this case, we propose some recommendations so that teachers can best support students after having had a psychotic episode.
Identify a mental health problem early
Schools are spaces that must promote emotional well-being and prevention. For this reason, it is essential that professionals in the educational field are trained to identify warning signs of possible mental health disorders and, if they detect them, to follow the necessary referral steps.
In the case of psychotic disorders, some of the alarm signals that teaching and professional teams in schools can most frequently detect are:
- Alterations in thinking and perception.
- Disorganization of behavior.
- Lack of energy, motivation, interest, etc., in an extreme and involuntary manner.
- Apathy.
- Decrease in academic performance.
- Alteration or deficit in cognitive functions.
- Impulsivity.
Warning signs of psychotic disorders in adolescents
It should be noted that these warning signs can help with early detection, but they should not be used to make a clinical diagnosis of a psychotic episode at school. The information gathered from the educational environment can help health professionals assess the case more comprehensively, but they will be the ones who will determine whether or not what has been observed fits the diagnosis.
Returning to school after a psychotic episode
Psychosis sometimes manifests itself with symptoms that particularly hinder the cognitive, affective and social areas. It should be borne in mind that school and high school are agents of socialization where some situations occur naturally that can generate anxiety in the affected child or young person , which for the adult go completely unnoticed.
When a child or adolescent has had a psychotic episode and their attendance at school has been interrupted by the acute phase of the disorder, the proposal for reinstatement is often experienced as a challenge both for the student and their family and for the school itself. Respectful support from all the agents involved will be key to the success of this new path in which the student is at the center.
There are situations that occur naturally at school or high school that can become undesirable peaks of stress, which can become precipitants of a relapse.
The age of onset of the disorder, the duration of the episode, the pharmacological treatment and the cognitive level prior to the debut, among other aspects, will determine the impact on the student's cognitive performance. Therefore, from the educational framework, learning should be undertaken in flexible environments, with varied options and responses adjusted to their needs. We must not forget, however, that not everything is reduced to possible cognitive impairment.
Maintaining the educational link when a student needs hospitalization in mental health units
The rush hours of entering and leaving the school, recess or lunchtime, presentations in front of the class group, carrying out work with peers, organizing weekly tasks, keeping the agenda up to date, preparing for exams, attending the internship center or excursions, for example, can become situations that generate peaks of stress that are not at all advisable and that can sometimes become precipitants of a relapse.
The level of distress of the person who has debuted a psychotic episode is often so high that it is necessary to respond from different areas and following the same line. For this reason, it is necessary for the educational center to make available some individual protective factors, such as:
- Have a reference and trusted person (co-tutor).
- Have a space to go to in times of crisis.
- Anticipate significant curricular changes.
- Make proposals for schedule adaptations.
- Ensure frequent tutorial monitoring.
- Offer reduction or adaptation of curricular content.
- Review the planning of the groups.
- Modify the way of evaluating.
- Promote individual and small group work.
A joint work
To standardize proposals like these, it is essential that we work together with schools and institutes, offering them advice and strategies that can be generalized within school life. Informing, resolving doubts and breaking the stigma against psychosis empowers the teaching team. It is also essential to remind them that, despite the fragility of the student's moment, the school is a protective and therapeutic agent for these cases, and that we need the maximum involvement of teachers.
The educational center must develop an Individualized Support Plan, with the participation of the affected person and the family, which plans the actions and support necessary in specific situations.
Along these lines, when proposing any educational proposal, it is necessary to do so jointly with the family and the affected person , who must be able to explain their concerns and what they feel capable of committing to within the educational environment. For this reason, it is extremely important that the person feels respected, accepted and loved. They must be accompanied and advised in making educational decisions, without taking away their autonomy.
The development of an Individualized Support Plan by the school, which includes the assessments and decision-making of the teaching teams (with the participation of the family and the student) on the planning of measures, actions and supports to respond to unique situations, is an essential element in achieving a school for everyone, which excludes no one, and which guarantees equity and equal opportunities for educational success.
Normalizing mental health problems among young people
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