Mental Health Support in High Schools

It’s no secret that students require mental health assistance, and suffer a disproportionally large amount from mental illness compared to other groups (the NAASP suggests one in five children and adolescents), but in the place with the largest concentration of students, are high schools actually providing any support for students with mental illness?

Glen Ridge High School provides some mental health resources, like a form which is hidden in the back pages of the school website, as well the option to approach school counselors and the team the school has in place for all topics mental health. The school has set itself up to be adequately prepared for a student going through any sort of mental health crisis, however, mental health is far deeper than crises. Student’s mental health issues can be seen in broad-daylight - however only seems visible to students.

Interviewed students have stated that their peers are constantly displaying signs of mental illness, yet when things such as self-deprecating humor have become a mainstream, its’ hard to tell what is serious and what is not. It’s nearly impossible to tell when a student is joking, or saying something casually, as opposed to when something is a cry for help, and calling for attention to an issue before it becomes a visible crisis. Only students can see their peers issues, living and spending majority of their weeks within their safe group of confidants, however this benefits exactly nobody. Students only seem to trust other students with such serious matters because regardless of the era of change within the mental health community, when approached or discussed - mental health is still a taboo topic. The taboo as well as the idea that the issue is cloaked in such depth and seriousness (reasonably), pushes students away from discussing even minor mental health concerns. Mental health needs to be redefined in high schools. It is not only a few sets of very serious topics, but it is similar to physical health in the sense that there needs to be general upkeep of all aspects to avoid a crisis. One simply can’t wait for a stroke to the doctor, when there have been constant symptoms and signs leading up to it.

One student posits that high schools, “in general should offer better and more accessible resources for students”, and also suggests that, “a lot of the time those types of things fall into teachers backs. Those teachers aren’t qualified and it’s not as effective as improving mental health resources in the school”. Governor Murphy had announced “initiatives” in early 2020 for support towards youth mental health, which included training for teachers, however, the teachers at high schools are already overwhelmed with responsibilities - now more than ever. Additionally, no initiatives have actually taken place and are claimed to be more strict and rule-forming, than regarding mental health.

Regardless of whether teachers are well-versed in mental health knowledge, students can truly make a difference in the realm of mental health in high schools. With students being able to recognize mental health crises, as well have schools acknowledge that mental health is more than a crisis, students can work towards making their schools, “a safe space for students and an overall positive experience”.

Sources:

https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562020/20200211b.shtml

https://www.nassp.org/mental-health-in-middle-level-and-high-schools/

https://www.insidernj.com/press-release/bipartisan-legislators-tout-student-mental-health-substance-abuse-initiative/