What
I study the temporal dimensions of school-based programmes that aim to promote mental health in Denmark and the UK. The project explores how certain temporal norms (e.g. slowing down, being in the present moment) are presented to children and young people in school settings as well how questions of time and temporality are linked to youth wellbeing and mental health.
Why
In recent years the focus on youth mental health and wellbeing has greatly increased. In Denmark and the UK this focus has been dominant in school policy in light of the overall decrease in the wellbeing and mental health of children and young people. At the same time, we have seen a number of attempts to link the accelerated pace of life and the youth mental health crises, but this connection remains underexplored in educational research and psychology. The ambition of this project is to clarify and expand our notions of these key concepts and connections through the inclusion of a temporal perspective on mental health and wellbeing promotion in schools.
How
The project explores six cases of mental health promotion programmes applied in schools in the UK and Denmark. I focus on how students are taught to manage both their inner subjective relation to time (e.g. learning to be present in the moment) and their external objective time relation (e.g. managing your daily schedule and planning how to prioritize certain tasks during the school day).