With the rate of depression in teens going up by the years, it is time for schools to prioritize the mental health of students.
According to the Center for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC), a survery conducted in 2023 showed that 40 percent of teens reported to feeling sad and nine percent of teens have attempted suicide. With the increase of social media, alcohol and drug use, depression rates tend to be higher in teens more than before. Another study done by the CDC showed that depression rates in teens increased by 7 percent in ten years. These numbers prove that it is important for schools to promote mental health.
Although the mandatory Compass Curriculum videos assigned through English classes are supposed to promote the importance of mental health, these videos range from 10–15 minutes. While the videos are interactive, they tend to be ineffective because the majority of the students don’t pay attention to them.
“I feel like the videos are just there for us to do it, most of us just let the video play and none of us really pay attention,” junior Sagiv Nahum said.
The Health Information Project (HIP) trains juniors and seniors to teach freshmen in the school about important health topics. While this may help students, HIP does not happen until later in the school year and might not be enough for some students.
Academic pressure or the demands and expectations set from teachers, society or the students themselves, cause students to face mental health issues, which can lead to anxiety or depression. From a young age, children are taught to achieve academic milestones. According to Mental Health Center Kids, anticipation and desire for more can result in hindering a person’s growth. High standards put on students may make them put their academic needs over their physical and mental needs.
“I feel like teachers don’t understand how overwhelming the work can be,” junior Theodore Reuven said. “With my other classes I feel bombarded with all the work being assigned.”
Poor mental health may impact students’ ability to learn, build healthy relationships and their physical health. According to the CDC, mental health reflects on a person’s ability to thrive. For children and young teens, mental health is especially important. For students, a weak mental health foundation can also lead to low-self esteem and lack of motivation. A welcoming environment where students feel safe to go ensures a student’s opportunity to grow and thrive while prioritizing their mental and physical health above everything else.
“I feel like high school is a very important part of all our lives and our future is pretty much built from it,” junior Yara Sanchez said. “Mental health plays a huge role in keeping us successful throughout the years.”
To prioritize a student’s needs, schools can help create support within their peers. For example, in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) website, there is a free peer grief group available to kids starting from the age of 4. Students are able to register through the number or website provided. There are also hotlines available on the MDCPS website to those in need.
At Krop, if a student has a problem, they are supposed to reach out to their assigned counselors: Maria Echemendia (9), Kimberly P. McHenry-Williams (10), Dr. Pierre A. Moreau (11) and Amy Rutledge (12). In addition to this, students are able to speak openly to all administrators about any problems.
If a student is in need of extra support, and they have spoken to their assigned counselor, they are able to see Mental Health Counselor Shontay Blakeney, but paperwork is required for her to see the student. Students are able to see Blakeney once they are referred to her, but students may also be referred to other counselors who come to the school.
Here at Krop, the importance of mental health needs to be promoted more. There are resources available on MDCPS, yet students are not being informed about them. Videos and interactive teaching sessions may help a student, but allowing a student to reach out and engage with someone makes them feel more comfortable and less alone.
According to Stanford University, people tend to be afraid of asking for help because it might make them look weak or the fear of being rejected. In order to guarantee that a student is okay with reaching out, it is significant to create comfortability and engage with students.
At these ages, mental health is valuable for making right decisions and staying healthy mentally and physically. It is time for schools to acknowledge and better this overall.