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Individuals with SEMH difficulties often perform negative health behaviours, yet little qualitative research aiming to understand why exists. The present study aimed to uncover reasons for poor health behaviours in individuals at an SEMH college. Eight students attending a specialist SEMH college were interviewed about their health behaviours and health beliefs. IPA was utilised to analyse the datasets. Participants seemed aware of the potential severity of ill-health following negative health behaviours, yet this only appeared to influence behaviour when they believed themselves as susceptible to the illness. Coping with adversity and social influence were key barriers in reducing unhealthy behaviours, with perceived barriers outweighing any potential health benefits. Participants expressed good mental wellbeing as key in being physically healthy, both directly and as mediated through health behaviours. Finally, participants engaging in unhealthy behaviours appeared to minimise the potential risks associated with each behaviour. Students with SEMH difficulties perform negative health behaviours for various reasons including social influence, enjoyment and coping with adversity. Addressing these factors may help to improve the health behaviours of this cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While the relationship between speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) and mental health difficulties has been recognized, speech and language therapists (SLTs), and mental health professionals face challenges in assessing and treating children with these co‐occurring needs. There exists a gap in the evidence base for best practice for professionals working with children and young people (CYP) who experience difficulties in both areas. Aims: To explore the views of SLTs and mental health clinicians about their experiences of working with CYP exhibiting co‐occurring SLCN and mental health difficulties. Methods & Procedures: Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with eight SLTs and six mental health professionals, including psychotherapists, clinical psychologists, play therapists and counsellors, with experience working with CYP with SLCN. Interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis and themes were identified from the data. Outcomes & Results: Participants felt that SLCN and mental health difficulties frequently co‐occur. Participants described how CYP with SLCN and mental health issues commonly experience difficulties across and between the domains of language and cognition, emotional well‐being and challenging behaviour. Findings suggest that there are organizational limitations in the fields of SLT and mental health that have implications for the efficacy of assessment and treatment of CYP with SLCN and mental health difficulties. Traditional talking therapies were perceived to be inaccessible and ineffective for CYP with SLCN and mental health difficulties. Interventions blending behaviour and emotion programmes with language and communication interventions were considered potentially beneficial. Conclusions & Implications: Future research should explore and evaluate current services and service set‐up in SLT and mental health. The findings from this study have important implications for the efficacy of treatments provided to this population suggesting that more research needs to be done into effective diagnosis and interventions for this population. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject: Research suggests that CYP with SLCN, such as developmental language disorder (DLD), are likely to experience mental health difficulties including depression, anxiety and poor emotional well‐being. CYP who experience difficulties with SLCN and poor mental health are not well understood and this area remains under‐researched. This has implications for clinician knowledge and therefore the effective diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents experiencing SLCN and mental health difficulties. In addition, little is known about the accessibility of talking therapies to CYP presenting with SLCN and mental health difficulties. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: SLCN issues are understood by SLTs and mental health issues are understood by mental health professionals, but where these co‐occur difficulties exist for the diagnostic process, with professionals perceiving that CYP in this category are often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Organizational boundaries between SLT and mental health were perceived to contribute to a lack of understanding of SLCN and mental health needs, which has implications for effective diagnosis and treatment. Traditional talking therapies were thought to be inaccessible for CYP with SLCN and mental health difficulties. Interventions used in both SLT and psychotherapy were perceived as clinically useful if combined. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: This paper highlights implications for the accessibility and efficacy of the assessment and treatment provided to this population and to the organization of services currently treating this group of CYP. A direction for future research would be to undertake service evaluations and intervention‐based studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One in eight children aged 5–19 years in the UK suffer from a psychiatric disorder, while fewer than 35% are identified and only 25% of children access mental health services. Whilst government policy states that primary schools are well-placed to spot the early warning signs of mental health issues in children, the implementation of early identification methods in schools remains under-researched. This study aims to increase understanding of the acceptability and feasibility of different early identification methods in this setting. Four primary schools in the East of England in the UK participated in a qualitative exploration of views about different methods that might enhance the early identification of mental health difficulties (MHDs). Twenty-seven staff and 20 parents took part in semi-structured interviews to explore current and future strategies for identifying pupils at risk of experiencing MHDs. We presented participants with four examples of identification methods selected from a systematic review of the literature: a curriculum-based approach delivered to pupils, staff training, universal screening, and selective screening. We used NVivo to thematically code and analyse the data, examining which models were perceived as acceptable and feasible as well as participants' explanations for their beliefs. Three main themes were identified; benefits and facilitators; barriers and harms, and the need for a tailored approach to implementation. Parents and staff perceived staff training as the most acceptable and feasible approach to systematic identification, followed by a curriculum-based approach. Universal and selective screening garnered mixed responses. Findings suggest that a systematic and tailored approach to early identification would be most acceptable and feasible, taking into consideration school context. Teacher training should be a core component in all schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]