Mental health problems are strikingly common among young people and can affect their ability to learn. Schools are beginning to tackle the problem and assist student in getting the help they need.
The Problem
The following sobering facts from the National Alliance on Mental Illness put the problem of mental health in among school-aged children into perspective:
• About one in five youth age 13-18 live with mental health conditions and approximately 75% of people with mental health issues develop them prior to the age of 24.
• Thirty-seven percent of students age 14 or older with a mental health issue drop out of school.
• Suicide is the third leading cause of death in students aged 10–24. Of those students, 90% having an underlying mental illness.
In addition, the Association for Children’s Mental Health cites research showing 1 in 10 young people have a mental health challenge that is severe enough to impair how they function at home, school or in their community.
According to ACMH, mental health disorders can affect two areas critical to students’ success: classroom learning and social interactions.
Next Steps
In recent years, schools seem to have been ratcheting up their response to the need among students, with resources such as therapy dogs, counseling and support groups becoming more commonplace, along with parent education about issues such as anxiety, depression and suicide.
ACMH encourages parents to build strong relationships with their school’s teachers and administrators to help ensure their child’s needs are met.
Even a child who does not have an individualized educational plan or 504 plan — tools set out by federal law to help children with disabilities — the school still is likely willing to help parents address their children’s mental health concerns with accommodations such as modifying deadlines, providing services or working to identify and de-escalate anxiety.
In 2018, New York state launched an early intervention program to support the students’ mental health.
The program includes comprehensive services at every grade level, mental health assessments and interventions, access to behavioral and mental health services and programs, outreach to the Department of Education for support, and efforts to strengthen relationships between schools, families and communities.
Writing for InsideHigherEd.com, college professor John Warner recommended focusing less on achievement and more on student engagement.
Students are less engaged in school each year from fifth through 11th grades, he wrote, with 74% of fifth-graders reporting that they’re engaged in school, and only 32% by their senior year. “I’d love to see school reformers attack this problem with the same fervor they’ve directed toward raising test scores,” Warner wrote.
“They may even be surprised how test scores go up as school is organized around helping students thrive in all dimensions of the human experience without being constantly measured and judged.”
Resources
The following organizations offer information to help families and educators recognize potential mental health concerns and connect young people with support:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org, for free, confidential crisis support available 24/7.
Anxiety and Depression Association of America: Access free online peer-support communities for people affected by anxiety, depression and related conditions.
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance: Find online support groups for people living with mood disorders and their loved ones.
Association for Children’s Mental Health: Review possible warning signs of mental health challenges in children and adolescents.
Santa Barbara County Resources
- Santa Barbara County Behavioral Wellness: For 24-hour crisis response and access to mental health services, call 888-868-1649. If someone is in immediate danger, call 911. Learn more.
- YouthWell: Offers a bilingual resource directory, support groups, workshops and navigation assistance for Santa Barbara County youth through age 25 and their families. Visit youthwell.org.
- CALM: Provides trauma-informed therapy, family support and other services for children and families throughout Santa Barbara County. Visit calm4kids.org or call 805-965-2376 in Santa Barbara, 805-614-9160 in Santa Maria or 805-741-7460 in Lompoc.
- Family Service Agency: Provides counseling and family-support programs for children, teens, adults and caregivers throughout Santa Barbara County. Visit fsacares.org.