Mind and Body Health | Page 27

What is the School's Job?

By Courtney Valenze

Mental health disorders are a major issue among teenagers. These disorders plague the minds of high school students and have lasting effects on them emotionally, physically, and sometimes even effect what their future pans out to be. Depression is one of the main mental health disorders that affects high schoolers today in America. This illness is spoken about but not completely. Students who suffer it day in and day out aren’t given the help and support they require by the school systems. Mental health disorders can alter one's ability to complete simple tasks. The major issue is how these disorders are looked upon by society and schools, and how by ignoring them we as a society are making it even worse on the students.

There is something that schools can do about it, though. School employees spend a lot of time with students throughout the school year. They receive work from students and have the ability to notice when a student begins to slack off. As many as one in five students suffer from a mental health disorder in school every year, and 80 percent of them do not receive help (Bruce). The stigma that surrounds mental disorders stops students from speaking up because they are afraid of being ridiculed and being seen as different from their peers. Through research I think that one of the best ways to try and help students in schools is to properly train teachers to notice mental health disorders and how to react when they do. Another possible way to help the problem is to have courses in schools that cover mental health.

Teachers often receive CPR training, epipen use training, and are taught how to properly clean up bodily fluids, but they aren’t taught about mental health disorders, how to spot them and what to do when they do (Jessica). Dr. Michael Hollander, assistant professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School, points out that teachers either over-involve themselves in the mental health of students or they mistake the classic signs thinking they are behavioral issues. This is why it is important to train them on how to spot a mental health disorder and what their proper roles are in that situation (Jessica). Once a teacher notices key signs of mental health disorders there are various things they can do. First they should speak to the student and other adults who the student is close with. Then they have the ability to allow more flexible deadlines if the student is falling behind in class. Yet they should encourage them to do the school work and not let it go undone. This is possible by commonly meeting with the student one on one to discuss the school work and what can be done to complete it. By allowing flexible deadlines, but still holding the student accountable, it allows the student to feel slightly more in control and less like they are drowning in schoolwork (Bruce).

Another option for schools is to include mental health topics more into the curriculum or even have a class dedicated to it. This “helps increase understanding and reduce stigma” (Damien). MindMatters is a program that works to help mental health in Australia. This program connects the school, home and community together to work on bettering mental health. They believe that having proper curriculum that teaches student about mental health will help them spot it in themselves and their peers. Also, by involving this in the school it opens the gates for conversation on the topic which will work to break down the stigma. This program works to train teachers to be able to spot mental health issues in their students (Johanna).