The Neil Armstrong public Institute of Valdemoro, in Madrid, is the only center in Spain that offers emotional therapies with horses for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other vulnerable children. This innovative initiative, completely free, allows students, selected by their tutors and supervised by the institute’s psychologist, to attend a horse riding session weekly. The sessions, designed to measure, not only seek to improve emotional management and conflict resolution, but also use relaxation techniques based on the horse’s movement and body heat. Families also do some therapy in the form of support by sharing experiences with other parents in similar situations.
The institute’s psychologist, who attends the center three times a week, also offers workshops to manage exam anxiety with keys to relax and face them in a better way. Other projects include the prevention of toxic relationships, teaching young people to identify and manage these situations in their first interpersonal experiences, with the aim of avoiding major problems in the future.
As in the case of Neil Armstrong, the mental health of young people has become a growing concern in our society. 70% of adult psychopathologies first manifest in childhood and adolescence, highlighting the importance of early intervention in the early stages of these mental illnesses. The call to action is immediate, according to the Atalaya Foundation in its report Concerns, concerns and mental health of youth in Spain
This analysis, which collects the responses of 2,002 young people between 15 and 29 years old, reveals that 52.3% of those surveyed suffer moderate or severe symptoms related to anxiety. Additionally, more than half of participants report difficulties associated with low mood, pointing to a worrying increase in depression symptoms. In addition, 143 young people have answered the suicide risk scale. Of these responses, 1.5% of the total respondents present a serious risk of suicide.
With these figures, it is essential to identify the concerns of young people to be able to act effectively and to do this, some experts defend, the role of the teacher is fundamental. “Teachers must be witnesses of reality because in educational centers there are young people who bully and others who withdraw into themselves,” says Javier Urra, doctor in Psychology and Health Sciences.
Concern about this issue is universal. Internationally, countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, Norway and Finland have implemented emotional support models, known as Headspaceto address these problems. In Spain, efforts like that of IES Neil Armstrong are not isolated. A few days ago the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports awarded 30 centers across the country for their commitment to emotional well-being.
They are schools that carry out various actions to improve the mental health and well-being of their students, such as discussion tables, meetings, activities to integrate children with the most socialization problems into the group or designate student mediators so that among peers they can try to resolve problems. conflicts that may arise. “Through music, care and enjoyment of nature, play and other tools, the award-winning projects work on aspects such as emotional management, self-care, coexistence or the mental health of their students, many of whom are They belong to socioeconomically vulnerable environments or have gone through particularly complex situations, such as the eruption of the La Palma volcano,” explains the ministry.
Activities for everyone during ‘quick breaks’
The Fernando de Rojas Public School, located in a working-class neighborhood of Burgos, is one of the award-winning centers. This preferred school for students with motor disabilities has focused on integrative initiatives, such as the “112 connecting lives” project, which teaches students how to act in dangerous situations through restorative practices. In addition, teachers receive specific training for the prevention of suicidal behavior, reinforcing the center’s commitment to the emotional well-being of its students.
In Asturias, the Maximiliano Arboleya Public School has received the award for its project “La tribu del Maximili”, which prioritizes the comprehensive emotional development of students. They implement dialogue tables, daily delegate meetings, and assemblies in all primary grades. In addition, they organize “quick recesses,” which are playground activities designed to encourage the integration of all students and ensure that no one feels excluded.
In the case of Early Childhood Education, recesses are more structured. Thus, each day of the week there is a game proposal: fabrics, chalk, music, stories, vehicles on the road safety education circuit painted in the yard… However, in Primary Education, the games are less directed. They have a cart that the managers take out to recess with different materials: ropes, velcro rackets, balls, rubber bands, etc. They can also use the giant wheels and the ping pong tables and the garden (the school garden coordinating teacher is usually there doing maintenance work and there are always volunteers who enjoy helping).
The Antonio Machado Public School in Fuenlabrada, Madrid, has also been recognized for its innovative proposals. It is a preferred center for ASD and deaf students, and all its posters are translated into sign language. They have developed a program in which two student “helpers” from each grade mediate conflicts during recess and help prevent bullying. Additionally, this year, they organized a charity run to raise funds to research Usher Syndrome, a disease that affects a school student and causes progressive loss of vision and hearing. The event mobilized the entire local community.
In this school, children have the opportunity to manage their emotions by selecting on a tablet one of the six basic emotions they feel when they get home and after recess. “That gave us a lot of information because sometimes the alerts went off,” says the director, Cristina Gutiérrez. These alerts made it possible to identify problems early and offer immediate support.
There have been 30 centers awarded by Education, but more and more are carrying out this type of initiatives, landing in the classroom the importance that public administrations and educational managers give to the mental health of young people. Student well-being has become an urgent priority in schools and colleges, especially since the pandemic, underscoring the need for innovative programs and emotional support. “Teenagers need early intervention spaces where they can express their concerns and get help without the need for a lengthy medical referral process. “Mental health should be addressed as easily as any other wellness need.”, said Doctor Celso Arango.
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