School psychology project going well

Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health problems among pupils at Klaksvík’s á Skúlatrøð school.

So says Thorvald Danielsen, the only school psychologist in the country, who has been working part-time at the school in Klaksvík for the past year.

The school is running a three-year trial project which seeks to provide access to a psychologist for all its pupils.

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Although it may be a bit early to draw any conclusions about a three-year project after only one year, school principal Vagn Foldbo says the project is going well.

“The first months consisted mostly of administrative tasks, and then there were the Covid disruptions, so it all started off rather slowly,” he explains.

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“However, the pace picked up after Christmas. There are no statistics yet, but there has been lots of positive feedback from pupils, parents and teachers.”

There are numerous treatment options for young people with mental health issues. These include Sernám, Gigni and the child psychiatric ward.

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“The primary objective of the school psychologist project is to provide treatment options for pupils who for some reason cannot access the existing treatment options,” says the principal.

Read the Faroese version of this article here.

More Faroese News in English.