To the editor:
Mental health issues in America’s youth are an alarmingly fast growing problem in today’s society.
With the mass school shootings that have plagued our country in recent years, people are developing a concern for the mental health and stability of the country’s youth now more than ever.
However, the mental and social-emotional services provided in our schools are struggling to keep up with the overwhelming number of students with mental health issues.
Some schools lack any services at all, and students are left without the support they desperately need and desire. While mental health issues are becoming a significant concern for many in our country, the programs currently in place in our schools leave much to be desired and need drastic improvement.
It is not a secret that many adolescents in modern society struggle with some form of mental illness. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, recent surveys indicated that “an estimated 49.5% of adolescents [aged 13-18] had any mental disorder.”
This alarming statistic illustrates the high prevalence of mental disorders in U.S. adolescents. However, many of these adolescents do not receive treatment or support for their mental disorders.
The stigma around mental health and the severe lack of available services prevent students from receiving the support they need.
Furthermore, schools are the only place that many students can receive mental health support. According to an article “Are Schools Ready to Tackle the Mental Health Crisis?” published by NEAToday, “schools have become essentially the de facto mental health system for students.”
With students spending almost six hours a day at school, it makes sense that students receive most or all of their mental health care from their schools. However, the schools are lacking the programs and services to aid these students in the numbers that exist today.
When it comes to the current services provided in American schools, most schools only have a couple overstretched counselors and maybe a school psychologist. This is clearly not enough to service the hundreds of students struggling with mental illness in their schools.
In looking at how to improve the current mental health system in schools, many professionals have agreed that it is important to focus on creating a holistic environment where teachers and counselors communicate and work together toward the stability of all students.
Many students feel as if their teachers and the adults in their schools do not understand them. In order for students to move toward better mental health, “‘everybody needs to be relating to and engaging with each other over students who are experiencing difficult things in their lives,’” as head of the social work department for Stamford Public Schools says.
Adolescents need to feel understood and supported by all the adults who work with them to grow and develop in healthy and positive ways. Without this, the students who are struggling are only going to continue to struggle and are not going to make any improvements.
As society becomes more electronically connected but socially disconnected, the prevalence of mental health issues steadily increases. With many mental disorders manifesting in adolescence, mental health services and programs in schools are vitally important for the long-term, healthy development and growth of today’s students.
Unfortunately, the current system of mental health services in schools does not meet the needs of the students and needs a super-charged injection of planning, investment and thoughtful implementation.
Mental health continues to be a growing concern in today’s society and with it, the mental health services and programs in American schools are in desperate need of changes for the better.
Sophia Hagedorn
Greenwood
