Ms Anjelica Foley:

I thank the Deputy for his question. Resilience is very important. When we consider the factors that contribute to mental health difficulties for students, it is interesting to look at students with enduring mental health. By that I mean students who have not encountered a mental health difficulty. There are many factors at play. When we look at schools, we should consider them not only in an educational context but also in the context of other experiences of schools, which can lead to students being more resilient in their mental health. Factors such as sport, being on the student council and the friends a pupil makes at school are all part of the support circle that will build resilience. That is important because we cannot focus on trying to stop students developing mental health difficulties without trying to actively address the cause. That is crucial if we want students to have positive experiences in life and not develop severe mental health difficulties.