Anxiety and Depression in the Classroom: A Teacher's Guide to Fostering Self-Regulation in Young Students

by Nadja Reilly

Overview

Guidance for teachers on two pressing problems in student mental health.

Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental health problems for young students, and can be particularly hard to detect and support. In this book, the first of its kind for teachers, Nadja Reilly lays out with richly detailed examples the signs to look for so educators can direct their students to help and ensure emotional wellness in the classroom. Grounded in recent psychological research and practical self-regulation tools, Reilly opens her study out onto nourishing emotional wellness in all students, communicating with parents, and schoolwide mental health advocacy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393708721
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	05/04/2015
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Nadja Reilly, PhD, is a clinical psychologist specializing in children and families. Dr. Reilly graduated from the University of Miami, Florida, and completed post-graduate training at Boston Children’s Hospital, where she worked for 12 years. Dr. Reilly is the Associate Director of the Freedman Center for Child and Family Development at William James College. Dr. Reilly is also the editor and main author of Preventing Depression: A Toolkit for Schools, Break Free from Depression program, and executive producer of the Break Free From Depression documentary.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 What Is Self-Regulation? 9

Chapter 2 Anxiety Disorders 36

Chapter 3 Depressive Disorders 82

Chapter 4 Practical Tools: Helping Children With Anxiety and Depression in the Classroom 133

Chapter 5 Fostering Emotional Wellness in All Students 205

Chapter 6 Communicating With Parents About Student Mental Health 248

Chapter 7 A Broader View of Children's Mental Health: Schoolwide Efforts and Advocacy 280

Appendices 293

References 315

Index 333

Editorial Reviews

"An outstanding resource, with easy-to-apply, evidence-based strategies that will make a huge difference in fostering the emotional adjustment of children whose depression or anxiety compromises their school performance. Reilly provides numerous straightforward examples, activities, and approaches that can help parents ally with teachers to assist their children in coping with the emotional problems that most commonly disrupt learning and good peer relations in the classroom. This is a must-read for educators and guidance counselors."

Gerald P. Koocher

"This book can be useful as a resource for social workers who support teachers in the classroom and as a resource for parents in the home. There is good content and material for anyone working with school-aged children because this book breaks down complex issues and identifies how they affect learning and development with a central focus on anxiety and depression in a school setting. . . . A very nice feature is the many activities suggested by the author for use with youth, along with very clear instructions on what materials are needed, what to do, and even scripting language to perform the activities. . . . The author provides solid suggestions to build resiliency and teach self-regulation to help students succeed in school and beyond."

School Social Work Journal

"In Anxiety and Depression in the Classroom, author Nadja Reilly . . . provides suggestions to build resilience and teach self-regulation in order to help kids to succeed in school and beyond. . . . [T]he book provides very detailed instructions for readers who teach children in grades K-5. Reilly lists materials needed, gives step-by-step instructions, and offers variations to accommodate specific needs. . . . For use both in the classroom and with parents and home life, this is a thoughtful, invaluable book — and should be required reading for anyone working with school-aged children."

PsychCentral

"Nadja Reilly has written a seminal book on the complex issue of anxiety and depression in children and how these common mental health problems impact learning and development. It is rare to find a book that connects research and its application as seamlessly as is done in this volume. Teachers will find this book to be an essential resource that gives them a foundation for understanding and support. This book is a gift to all of us who care about children and the lives they lead. It should be required reading for everyone working with elementary age children."

Barbara J. Green

"A truly extraordinary book—sophisticated yet readily approachable, deeply informed by research while also very pragmatic. Nadja Reilly places anxiety and depression into a developmental framework of self-regulation and then provides highly effective strategies for classroom management, fostering emotional wellness, and communicating with parents. This book is an invaluable resource for school-based educators and for training future teachers, child-focused mental health professionals, and educational administrators."

Robert Kinscherff

"This book provides an outstanding overview of the critical importance of self-regulation to the learning process. Through the practical interventions that Reilly suggests, teachers can become instrumental in developing these competencies as one of the building blocks for successful learning in school. The author is to be commended for taking a very complex developmental phenomenon and explaining it both comprehensively and with such clarity. This book is an excellent contribution to efforts to help youth reduce the risks of more serious emotional difficulties which could compromise their true learning abilities and life potential."

Eugene J. D'Angelo