Improving Mental Health in Children and Adolescents Through Educational System Interventions

The mental health of children and adolescents has gained unprecedented visibility in recent years. Recent data indicate that 48,4% of mental disorders appear before the age of 18, with an average age of onset of 14.5 years. School bullying and its digital manifestation, cyberbullying, are key risk factors for the emergence and worsening of these conditions. The Community of Madrid has promoted a series of interventions aimed at training education professionals in mental health, reducing victimization, improving coexistence, promoting socio-emotional learning, and preventing mental disorders, with a special emphasis on vulnerable groups. Among them, the web-assisted school program LINKlusive and the Mental Health Clinical Liaison Programme for Schools. Both strategies are based on studies that have demonstrated cost-effectiveness, and have also been highly valued by the educational community. This article analyzes the main findings derived from their implementation, as well as the challenges and opportunities for their widespread adoption.