# data[].attributes.headline
Students Can Now Miss School for a ‘Mental Health Day’

# data[].attributes.subject
Students Can Now Miss School for a ‘Mental Health Day’

# data[].attributes.body
(Fleming)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
"Mental health days" now join the flu, stomachache, and common cold as excusable absences in schools in Oregon and Utah.

Legislation passed this summer in Oregon will allow students five excusable mental health days in a three-month period. In Utah, permissible illnesses were expanded in 2018 to include mental illnesses in addition to physical illnesses-reports The New York Times and the Associated Press (AP).

The data shows that a sizable number of U.S. students could benefit if other states pass similar laws. A 2017 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that nearly a third of all high school students had experienced significant periods of sadness and hopelessness within the previous year, and 17 percent had contemplated suicide-both percentages represented a significant increase in the last decade. Since 1999, the suicide rate has increased nationally by 30 percent, and is particularly high for girls, children living in rural areas, and students during the school year, according to a study published in the medical journal Pediatrics.

According to mental health advocates, the changes in school policy-along with other efforts-have been big steps in reducing the stigma around youth mental health and suicide, which have long been shrouded in shame. "The first step to confront this crisis is to reduce the stigma around it. We need to say it's just as OK to take care for mental health reasons as it is to care for a broken bone or physical illness," Debbie Plotnick, a vice president at Mental Health America, told the AP.

The parents of Chloe Wilson, who died by suicide in 2018, told the AP that their 14-year-old daughter could have been helped if she were allowed to take mental health days. Chloe, who faced bullying at school after coming out as bisexual, often pretended to be sick in order to stay home. "Because she lied to get her absences excused, we didn't get to have those mental health conversations that could have saved her life," her mother, Roxanne Wilson, said.

The new legislation in Oregon and Utah follows on the heels of other recent state efforts that push schools to ramp up supports and resources for student wellness. Virginia and New York both now require mental health education in schools, and a law passed in 2016 in California mandates that all grades 7-12 schools develop suicide prevention policies.

The changes reflect a growing interest in fostering students' social and emotional as well as academic development, recognizing that students often need more than high-quality instruction to succeed. Mindfulness and meditation programs, along with other strategies for building student resilience and coping with stress, have all come into vogue in recent years. Increasingly, research validates those efforts, concluding that non-academic supports are critical to a child's development and lifelong outcomes.

But some have questioned just how much responsibility educators should bear for student mental health and well-being-highlighting a longstanding tug-of-war over what topics should be addressed in school versus at home.

In Oregon, the new legislation encountered some pushback from both parents and educators who questioned the necessity of spelling out "mental health" as a reason for a sick day, and wondered whether it would encourage students to game the system, reports the Associated Press.

To the Oregon students who helped advocate for the new law, though, the legislation is a critical layer of support for students who struggle. "Being open to adults about our mental health promotes positive dialogue that could help kids get the help they need," Hailey Hardcastle, a rising college student who lobbied for the legislation, told the AP.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Students Can Now Miss School for a 'Mental Health Day'

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"Mental health days" now join the flu, stomachache, and common cold as excusable absences in schools in Oregon and Utah. Legislation passed this summer in Oregon will allow students five excusable mental health days in a three-month period.

# data[].attributes.headline
Yes, Children Need to Take Mental Health Days Too — Here’s Why

# data[].attributes.subject
Yes, Children Need to Take Mental Health Days Too — Here’s Why

# data[].attributes.body
(Cassata)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Yes, Children Need to Take Mental Health Days Too - Here's Why

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
One in 6 children between the ages of 6 and 17 experience a mental health disorder each year. Utah and Oregon allow students to take mental health days as excused absences from school. Behavior and personality changes, becoming isolated, being easily irritated, and experiencing frequent headaches and stomachaches may be signs that your child needs a mental health day.

# data[].attributes.headline
5 Reasons it’s a Bad Idea to Let Your Child Skip School Due to Anxiety

# data[].attributes.subject
5 Reasons it’s a Bad Idea to Let Your Child Skip School Due to Anxiety

# data[].attributes.body
(Scatigno)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If you are a parent to an anxious child, you know how difficult it can be to persuade them to do something they are worried or fearful about.

It is a basic parenting instinct to nurture and reassure your child that everything will be okay.

However, if you are getting pulled into the direction of letting your child miss school because they are afraid of kids, the bus, tests, the teacher, getting sick, missing you, or whatever the topic may be it is time to stop immediately and turn things around because you will make the stress and anxiety WORSE. If your child skips school because of stress and anxiety, this will hurt them and not help them.

Here are some reasons why avoiding school and rescuing your child is not a good idea:
1) Avoidance and escape will become the go to coping strategy for dealing with worry, fear, anxiety and other difficult emotions. We need to teach them to face their fears not run away.
2) They will miss out on important skills such as socialization with peers. This is important and necessary for their development. This can increase their dependency on parents and not lead them towards becoming independent, capable adults.

3) They will get behind in schoolwork and this will lead to them getting behind academically.

4) They will be buying into common anxiety tricks that include negative beliefs that they are weak and cannot handle challenges.

5) They will not learn that their worst fears probably won't come true. Even if the fears and worries do come true your child will not be learning the skills to handle these challenging situations. They will be missing out on valuable learning experiences.

Anxiety, fear, and worry are all uncomfortable feelings. We don't like to feel uncomfortable and we don't want our children to be uncomfortable. However, discomfort is a part of life. All feelings are a part of life. We cannot choose to only feel comfortable, happy, silly, and calm feelings. Through fear we grow to be brave. Usually our own anxiety responses get activated when our kids are distressed. If you jump in and rescue them it may be for your need to feel better right away not what is best for your child. If so, it is important to work on that yourself and remember feelings will pass. The only way to feel better is to face the situation and let the feelings go through you, not avoid them. If we avoid feelings we make them worse. If we accept and face them, we develop a tolerance for the feelings and they become less intense and more manageable. You and your child will learn that it is just a feeling and feelings don't kill you. Feelings give you good information about a situation and about yourself and out of that we all grow. Psychologists use a fancy word called "habituation". Habituation means we get used to the feeling and the feeling gets better. You can teach your child to be brave and build their confidence and competence. It's a great thing to see! Oh, and in case it wasn't clear: Don't let your child skip school due to stress and anxiety, it will make it worse, not better and you will have much bigger problems to deal with. Children can face their fears and become wonderful adults, just watch!

If you are concerned about school anxiety or school refusal, please click on the online scheduler below to learn about child cognitive behavioral therapy and choose initial phone consultation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Don't skip school due to anxiety. | Dr. Cristina A Scatigno

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you are a parent to an anxious child, you know how difficult it can be to persuade them to do something they are worried or fearful about. It is a basic parenting instinct to nurture and reassure your child that everything will be okay.

# data[].attributes.headline
Teens fight for new law giving Oregon students mental health days *Sign in using Google account info!

# data[].attributes.subject
Teens fight for new law giving Oregon students mental health days *Sign in using Google account info!

# data[].attributes.body
(Associated Press)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Newsela | Oregon teens successfully advocate for mental health days for students

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
With the help of teen advocates, a new Oregon law - among the first of its kind in the country - has passed that will allow students to take "mental health" days just as they do sick days.

# data[].attributes.headline
Why students should have mental health days (video)

# data[].attributes.subject
Why students should have mental health days (video)

# data[].attributes.body
(Hardcastle)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Transcript of "Why students should have mental health days"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
TED Talk Subtitles and Transcript: School can be rife with stress, anxiety, panic attacks and even burnout -- but there's often no formal policy for students who need to prioritize their well-being. Hailey Hardcastle explains why schools should offer mental health days and allow students time to practice emotional hygiene without stigma.

# data[].attributes.headline
Should You Be Allowed to Skip School When Stressed?

# data[].attributes.subject
Should You Be Allowed to Skip School When Stressed?

# data[].attributes.body
(Starecheski)
*You will need to "sign in" to read this article. You can also listen to it!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When Hailey Hardcastle was a kid, she and her mom made a deal. Hailey could take three days off from school each semester. They called these her "mental health days."

Hailey has two mental illnesses-depression and anxiety. Taking breaks made it easier for her to stay happy and healthy.

Then, when Hailey was in high school, she had an idea. Why shouldn't every kid get this chance? So she and some other students in Oregon joined together. After months of hard work, they got a state law passed. It says that kids can take a day off when they feel overwhelmed.

Hailey believes this law will help students who are struggling. But others worry: Is it really the best way to deal with teens' stress?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
should you be allowed to skip school when you're stressed

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Should You Be Allowed to Skip School When You're Stressed?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When Hailey Hardcastle was a kid, she and her mom made a deal. Hailey could take three days off from school each semester. They called these her "mental health days." Hailey has two mental illnesses-depression and anxiety. Taking breaks made it easier for her to stay happy and healthy.