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According to the National Institute of Mental Health, over 30% of teens struggle with an anxiety disorder. This number is even higher when you consider other mental health problems, such as depression or trauma.
As mental health awareness grows, it’s important for schools and educators to recognize the impact mental health can have on a teen’s education. Outside the home, teens spend a majority of their lives in a classroom setting. Teachers often know their students best and training them to recognize mental health warning signs is essential for harm prevention.
By educating parents, teachers, staff, and students about mental health, more teens can feel supported and receive help before problems progress. Read on to learn about the benefits of mental health education in schools and how to support students with mental health issues.
Benefits of Mental Health Education in Schools
For the same reasons we teach students about their physical health, educating teens on mental health can help them stay safe and healthy. The brain is just as important as other parts of the body, and providing a comprehensive mental health curriculum in school settings can help reduce stigma.
There are several benefits of providing mental health education in schools, some of these include:
- Reducing stigma around mental health
- Early intervention for teens with mental health disorders
- Building resilience
- Improved academic performance
- Higher attendance rates
- Better collaboration among students
- Decrease in peer conflict and fights
- Higher test scores
- Empowering students
- Promotes a positive school culture
- Strengthens relationships between students and staff
- Teaches healthy ways to reduce stress
- Builds self-awareness
Would A Mental Health Class Help Teens?
According to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, 1 in 5 youth will experience a mental health problem. Unfortunately, many of them will struggle in silence. Teens may feel shame or stigma about reaching out for help, or simply not understand why they are feeling the way they do. Receiving treatment for mental health problems is no different than going to the doctor if you break a bone.
Mental health classes can help this problem by normalizing mental health struggles among teens. Students may learn their peers are struggling with similar problems and foster new connections to beat feelings of isolation.
Researchers found that teens who receive positive mental health literacy are associated with higher levels of mental well-being.
Providing mental health classes for teens in schools could help them:
- Improve their overall wellness
- Increase emotional intelligence
- Strengthen relationships
- Learn positive strategies to reduce stress
- Mental health first aid for times of crisis
How to Help Students With Mental Health Issues
Schools and parents can work together to support teen mental health both in the home and at school. These two places are where teens spend the majority of their time and should act as a safe place where teens feel supported to work through emotional distress, anxiety, and challenges they are having.
Here are some strategies for parents to support their teens with mental health struggles:
- Validate what they are feeling
- Ask questions and actively listen without interrupting or providing unsolicited advice
- Educate yourself with resources about mental health in youth
- Ensure they get enough sleep
- Support them with learning tools if need be (flashcards, educational games, tutors, etc)
- Carve out time each week to bond with your teen through an activity they enjoy
- Model healthy habits and ways to reduce stress in the home
Schools also act as a first line of defense when supporting teens with their mental health. For teens who come from high-risk homes, school may be the only place they feel safe to express themselves and find support. Some ways schools can support students with mental health issues include:
- Increasing access to mental health services
- Ensuring guidance counselors are in every district
- Peer mentor programs
- Open conversations around mental health in the classroom
- Train staff in harm prevention (recognize signs, how to handle a mental health crisis, conflict resolution, de-escalation skills, etc)
- Events that promote mental health awareness
How Can Parents Help School Mental Health Services
Ensuring seamless communication between parents and schools plays an essential role in the success of students. This ensures teens are equipped with the tools to overcome mental health challenges in and outside their home environment.
Effective collaboration between parents and schools includes open communication, access to mental health services, early intervention, and even training sessions for parents on how to provide emotional support to their teens at home.
When to Seek Professional Help
If you identify warning signs of mental health issues in your teen or student, it’s important to reach out for professional mental health support to help find the best plan of treatment. We understand the complex nature of teen mental health issues and help treat underlying mental health problems.
Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists are available 24/7 to answer your questions and support your teen. Reach out to our Admissions team to learn more.
Sources
The Relationship Between Positive Mental Health Literacy and Mental Well-Being Among Adolescents: Implications for School Health Services. 2019. National Institute of Health.
Any Anxiety Disorder. National Institute of Health.
Mental Health First Aid for Youth. 2020. National Council for Wellbeing.
Originally from the Saginaw, Eagle Mountain area, Austin Davis earned a Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Ministry from Lee University in Cleveland, TN and a Master of Arts in Counseling from The Church of God Theological Seminary. He then went on to become a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor in the State of Texas.
Austin’s professional history includes both local church ministry and clinical counseling. At a young age, he began serving youth at the local church in various capacities which led to clinical training and education. Austin gained a vast knowledge of mental health disorders while working in state and public mental health hospitals. This is where he was exposed to almost every type of diagnosis and carries this experience into the daily treatment.
Austin’s longtime passion is Clearfork Academy, a christ-centered residential facility focused on mental health and substance abuse. He finds joy and fulfillment working with “difficult” clients that challenge his heart and clinical skill set. It is his hope and desire that each resident that passes through Clearfork Academy will be one step closer to their created design.
Austin’s greatest pleasures in life are being a husband to his wife, and a father to his growing children. He serves at his local church by playing guitar, speaking and helping with tech arts. Austin also enjoys being physically active, reading, woodworking, and music.