Dealing with the Mental Health Crisis

According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 4 people will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their life. This large percentage of the population includes many school-aged children. Specifically, the National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that 21% of kids aged 13-18 and 13% of kids aged 8-15 experience severe mental disorder. It’s also possible that this percentage is larger if some students have mental health issues that go undiagnosed.

So, while many students are dealing with these issues and need the support of educators, not all teachers are prepared to deal with mental illness in the classroom. So, this blog will discuss the ways educators at every level can support students dealing with mental illness.

Elementary Schools:

Elementary school occurs during a critical time in a child’s life. To have serious mental problems go untreated during this time in a person’s life could lead to serious issues later on.

First, the burden of recognizing mental health issues in students falls on educators. Many elementary-aged children do not yet have the vocabulary to talk about mental health. This means that teachers should be educated on the warning signs of mental health issue in young students. If teachers are able to recognize these problems, this allows steps to help the student to be taken.

Second, it’s important to begin to educate elementary students about mental health. While there are often some harsh realities in talking about mental health, slowly introducing children to some of the vocabulary involving their own mental state, showing them ways verbalize how they’re feeling and informing them that it’s okay to not always feel okay can allow children to give voice to what’s going on in their heads.

Finally, study shows that children benefit from receiving mental health services in their schools. If students have undiagnosed mental disorders, they might not be receiving help in a clinical setting outside of school. Additionally, children from low-income households may lack the resources to receive care. So, by integrating mental health programs into classrooms settings, such as those that target behavioral problems, and having trained mental health professionals at schools, such as counselors, schools can attempt to help children get the help they need.

Middle and High Schools:

In middle and high schools, health classes often have some amount of mental health awareness integrated into the curriculum. However, this does not mean that schools are doing everything they can to help students with mental health issues.

Students at this level face a steady increase in stress, as the pressure is on to balance school, homework, having a social life, extracurricular activities, and taking the necessary steps to apply for college and make an after-graduation plan.

By this point, students have likely learned how to vocalize their mental health concerns. So, the first step in combatting the rising trend of mental health issues in adolescents and teens at schools is for educators to listen to the concerns of their students. While it is important to recognize the warning signs of distress in students of every level, it is especially important for students to feel like they’re being taken seriously when they come forward with mental health concerns.

Teaching students methods for coping with stress and distress can be helpful for those dealing with mental health problems. By incorporating some manner of education on mental health and wellness into the curriculum, schools can support those students. By allotting time to teaching students about the benefits of healthy eating, exercise, and productive outlets for stress such as art, yoga, or meditation, schools can help inspire habits that can over time improve mental wellbeing. Making mental health a priority for students can help address these health concerns.

Finally, when students are in a period of distress, they should be given accommodation. Even though having a mental breakdown might not come with a doctor’s note, when students are having a crisis in terms of mental health, their grade should not be negatively impacted from it.

Colleges and Universities:

College is a time of transition for many students. Leaving the world of childhood and entering the land of adulthood can be a stressful situation. Mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, and disordered eating have been on the rise, leading to increased rates of suicide, which have tripled since the 1950s.

One of the biggest things colleges and universities can do to combat the mental health crisis is encouraging healthy habits. This means both educating and encouraging healthy habits and offering healthy options. So, by offering healthy food options in dining halls and closing down campus buildings at a reasonable hour to encourage healthy eating and sleeping habits, respectively, universities can attempt to help students act on well-meaning advice on staying healthy. Providing plenty of opportunities for physical exercise is also critical.

Improving access to mental health facilities and support groups can also offer college students an opportunity to get help when they need it.