A PILOT PROJECT FOR SCHOLASTIC SUPPORT ACTION WITH PSYCHIATRIC ADOLESCENTS: A GOOD NETWORK FOR BETTER SCHOLASTIC RESULTS

Introduction: This work presents the project named "What's wrong" realized by the Semi-residential Service for Adolescent Psychopathology located within the Infancy Adolescence Family Unit of the Public Health Service ULSS 16 in Padua. The service provides structured psycho-pedagogic and rehabilitative support within the framework of specific outpatient activities for adolescents, targeting with severe psychopathological disorders (mood disorders, attempted suicides, psychotic disorders, antisocial behavior and personality disorders) which can lead to a progressive drop out from school and peer relations and which make them often live their sufferance inside their family. Aim: The aim of this project is to create a collaboration between mental health services and schools attended by patients in order to support their educational continuity and their social and relational well-being. Sample and methodology: The sample consists of 16 adolescents (8 females and 8 males aged between 12 and 17 years, average age 16) in charge at the daily Semi-residential Service for Psychiatric Adolescents. The used tools are an annual report on the patients' scholar activities and an ad hoc questionnaire filled in by teachers who participated to the project, aimed to evaluate the project usefulness and to measure the perceived sense of collective efficacy. Results and discussion: This project leads to an important consideration about the need to create a network among all the institutions going along the growth of adolescents (family, school, public services, free time associations, ...). A better collaboration among schools and the Semiresidential Service can support an exchange of knowledge and useful remarks in order to comprehend the adolescent's disease and to give teachers new tools to approach adolescents and useful information to run a more focused individualized educational project. Another important aspect is the sharing with the family who has often many difficulties in being an active part in the scholar path. With the support of the Semiresidential Service and of schools, parents can be made more engaged in the dialogue with the scholar institution and more supportive to the son's growth. Another important factor seems to be the influence of the teachers'self - efficacy perception both on their didactical activities, on the class management and on their relationship with students, and students' competence perception, motivation and esteem grade developed during the scholar path. The implementation of projects based on evaluation tools, in order to measure and to strengthen both teachers' and students' evolution, can contribute to enlarge the sense of efficacy of teachers and students and therefore to support their motivation. Conclusion: From this study it emerges the great importance of a work in order to create a supportive network among psychopathological adolescents, branched and well strengthened in every life environment, as well as the need of a wide diffusion of information and prevention projects about adolescents' disease, which the school is one of the most common expression field of.