Mental Health in Education

 Mental Health is a rising topic in the education field. Mental health concerns both the well-being of both students and teachers within a school. Addressing mental health is important for the social, emotional, and physical safety of all in the classroom, or school as a whole. According to NAMI, about one in six children have some type of mental health issue, however only 50% of those students receive any type of help. This is an issue that is very prevalent in our world today and should be address. In an educational setting, most schools have some type of counselor, social worker, therapists or coaches that work with

Elementary students talking with guidance counselor

students experiencing some type of mental health issues. Students can experience many different things in their home life or school life that could effect their mental health. For example, some students might have issues of an abusive home which could cause depression and others might have test anxiety which can worsen their stress and anxiety overall. As teachers it is important that we can be a proper resource in the classroom that is able to talk about these issues and help address them.

I think that mental health is one area the the school system are really lacking in currently. I would love to see a push in the advocacy of support for mental health in our schools and classrooms. Personally, in my school it was looked down upon to "have to" go to the guidance office. The resources we underutilized in my schools growing up. I think that by having programs within a school day that advocate for mental health awareness and really work towards removing the stigma around things like anxiety and depression would be beneficial for all within the school systems. I think teaching students to use the resources of therapists and counselors is important. I would love to include exercises of self-love and mental health advocacy in my classroom one day. I think this is a great way to create community in the classroom and show your students that you support them and are there to help them.