Comprehensive Health Promotion in Primary Schools: The ‘Resilient Children and Community’ Project

Stewart DE¹*, Hardie M¹*, Sun J¹ and Patterson CR¹

1. Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Funded mainly by Health Promotion Queensland, a Consortium led by Queensland University of Technology is trialling a health promoting school-based intervention over four years that reviews the significance of organisational structures and educational programs that foster life opportunities for young children. The project aims to promote increased wellbeing, quality of life, and resilience as core outcomes. It adopts a multi-level approach to mental health promotion that addresses strengthening individuals (emotional resilience), strengthening communities (social inclusion) and reducing structural barriers to mental wellbeing. The concept of ‘resiliency’ is a focus for the research with evidence mounting that, for example, children living in conditions that support and enhance resiliency and connectedness are at reduced risk of a range of physical and mental health disorders. In an attempt to move forward and develop appropriate interventions to help individuals, families and communities cope successfully with the challenges of life transitions, times of cumulative stress and significant adversity, we are developing our research program building on these concepts. This focus supports health-promoting practices at individual, organisational and community levels, and requires an engagement with the school community in an attempt to create an environment that continuously fosters “capacity-building”, or the social capital of the setting, to help to create conditions that allow the attainment of health by all its members.

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