All these depressed kids are getting me down! School management of students with mood disorders

Event Details

About 1 in every 20 high school students in Australia has a Major Depressive Disorder. Many more will have sub-threshold depressive symptoms that are likely to have a significant impact on the student’s ability to achieve their potential at school. Teachers can feel powerless and hopeless in the face of students who are unmotivated, unfocussed, often undisciplined and sometimes unsafe.

Is there anything that schools can do to help these students? Is it even a school’s job to look after depressed kids?

The answer to these questions is a resounding YES. This presentation will give teachers some insights into the world of the depressed teenager and present a range of practical and evidence-based steps that classroom teachers and school executives can take to help maximize positive outcomes for these young people.

Dr John Burns

Convener of the Australian Psychological Society’s Psychologists in Schools Interest Group

Dr John Burns is a clinical psychologist who has spent the last 20 years working ‘at the coalface‘ with young people at Shore in North Sydney. His special interest is in the role of schools in identifying and intervening with young people with mental health difficulties. He is an Associate Member of the Centre for Emotional Health at Macquarie University and has held honorary roles with the Association of Independent Schools and the Australian Psychological Society