So what are mental health problems and mental health disorders?
According to Atkinson and Hornby’s model, there will be a proportion of learners with SEBD who will be severe enough to be diagnosed with a mental health problem and a small number of these will have a mental health disorder. Atkinson and Hornby (2002) write:
A mental health problem is defined as a disturbance of function in one area of relationships, mood, behavior or development of sufficient severity to require professional intervention (Wallace et al., cited in the Department of Health, 1995: 10).A mental health disorder is defined as a severe problem (commonly persistent), or the cooccurrence of a number of problems, usually in the presence of several risk factors. (ibid., 1995: 10)
Mental health disorders include:
■ conduct disorder;
■ attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD);
■ eating disorders; ■ anxiety disorders;
■ substance abuse;
■ depression;
■ suicidal behavior and deliberate self-harm;
■ obsessive-compulsive disorder;
■ schizophrenia.
(Atkinson and Hornby, 2002)
