Development of a World Health Organization Programme for School Mental Health in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Background: Schools provide an exceptional opportunity for mental health promotion and intervention. Aims: To describe the development of a World Health Organization (WHO) School Mental Health Program (SMHP) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Methods: Two tenets guided development of the SMHP: (1) it used a multitiered system of support framework including 3 tiers of interventions (universal, early and targeted); and (2) interventions must be feasible for implementation by non-mental health professionals. Results: The WHO SMHP is organized into a background section, followed by 3 modules: Social–Emotional Childhood Development; Mental Health Promoting Schools (Promotion and Prevention); and Addressing Student Mental Health Problems in Your Classroom, including specific classroom strategies and case examples. Conclusion: Developing an appropriate curriculum sensitive to the needs of individual countries requires involvement of those familiar with schooling in those countries, with mental health priorities and practices that promote mental health, and to coalesce school staff, parents and community members in the service of their children.