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Many people argue that different actions must be taken in order to work to eliminate the growing mental health crisis in the U.S. The most important action to be taken is education of both students that suffer from mental illness and those who do not. Mentally ill students are the only ones who know if they need to approach others for help, and students, in general, need to understand mental health/illness in order to understand their own mental health and provide support for those who need to recover from mental illness.

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Evidence for the Problem: Substantial evidence in the literature indicates that declining adolescent mental health is becoming more of a problem, especially in the recent years. One in five adolescents have a diagnosable mental health disorder, and between fifty and seventy percent of adolescents develop anxiety and impulse control disorders during adolescence. Based on a survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the percent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 that had at least one depressive episode grew from nine to eleven percent from 2012 to 2014. The percent of high school students who tried to commit suicide one or more times rose from eight to nine percent from 2013 to 2015. Death by suicide is the third leading cause of death in young adults, with older adolescents aged fifteen to nineteen being at higher risk for suicide. In addition, many adolescents with mental health issues are criminalized, with sixty-seven to seventy percent of youth in the juvenile justice system having mental disorders.

https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/facts-and-stats/national-and-state-data-sheets/adolescent-mental-health-fact-sheets/united-states/index.html

http://www.nccp.org/publications/pub_878.html

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Mental illness cannot be prevented, but teaching schoolchildren about mental illness can help them acquire knowledge on an otherwise highly stigmatized subject and educate them on ways to possibly help themselves or others. Teaching students from an early age about mental health and the early signs of mental illness can help students seek help from their support systems or treatment from professionals earlier in their life. This prevents the aggravation of these mental disorders and almost completely eliminates the chances of severe consequences such as suicide, substance abuse, or other harmful behaviors. Education can help students realize that everyone struggles with his or her mental health regardless of whether or not they have a diagnosed mental disorder. It can also help students realize that their mental illness is not something that they should feel ashamed of and that treatment can allow people diagnosed with most mental disorders to live relatively normal lives. Education on the topics of mental health and illness is not only supported by adults but also by the students themselves. Based on a poll, ninety-four percent of students agreed that mental health education should be more prevalent in schools and were open to learning about mental health and illnesses. Since students are receptive to this type of education, schools should work to implement it in their curriculum. Schools can choose from a variety of different methods to educate the children on these issues. In a study involving middle school children, a school implemented an education program that covered topics such as the basic functions of the brain, how scientists study the brain, how to recognize symptoms of several mental disorders and the importance of doing so, the potential causes of such disorders, the factors that increase or decrease a person’s risk of developing mental illness, and the role of treatment in the recovery process. The lessons also introduced children to scientific discoveries, data, and case studies of people with mental disorders that were diagnosed and able to be treated. The classes included activities, both print and Web-based, in order to encourage active participation and thinking from all students. The lesson plans distributed by the school were able to be taught by teachers who did not have any special training, and five to six lessons were able to be given in a span of forty-five minutes. A second study involving high school students involved mental health workshops. The first phase of the workshops, given by a person who worked in the mental health field, involved educating the students on mental health and illness and the differences between them, providing leaflets and showing a video of people who experienced mental illness in their own lives. They also emphasized changing the way students used stereotypical labels of mental illness or people suffering from it. The second phase of the workshops expanded the education by physically bringing a person who had experienced mental illness, allowing that person to share his or her story and then answering questions on the subject. Both studies showed positive results as both improved students’ knowledge and attitudes on the subject while the second study reported that the use of derogatory words by students to describe people with mental illness decreased. The fact that even a brief period of education produced these results shows that a long period of education could have very significant changes in helping to eliminate stigma in the future.

Editorial: Lessons in mental health important for children

http://highschool.latimes.com/south-torrance-high-school/opinion-why-we-need-to-talk-about-mental-health-in-schools/

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-british-journal-of-psychiatry/article/reducing-psychiatric-stigma-and-discrimination-evaluation-of-educational-interventions-in-uk-secondary-schools/85A99640485FF28947120C851E3460A1/core-reader

https://academic.oup.com/schizophreniabulletin/article/30/3/563/1933089

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Less than two weeks ago, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School senior Emma Gonzalez delivered what amounts to a post-millennial rebuke to every preceding American generation for failing to protect her and her peers. She spoke out against our overly permissive gun laws, the corporate interests that maintain them and the cultural affiliations that make many of us reluctant to accept change.

As Gen-Xers, our thoughts went back to Columbine, our flashbulb memory of the first mass school shooting in our lifetimes. As we've been forced to bear witness over the years, we see similar circumstances playing out: a marginalized student (or former student) with a troubled past or a resentment commits a heinous act.

Lethal power means restriction matters. If 91 percent of suicide attempts with a firearm are fatal, but only 8 percent without a firearm are fatal, think of the lives saved and tragedies averted from implementing common-sense gun restrictions. Imagine the proportionate decrease for homicide attempts.

Yet time after time, we watch mass shootings lead to a call for government action, and time after time the government does nothing. This time, high school students who'd just survived a shooting at their own school boarded buses to Tallahassee and watched as their state legislature refused to reconsider a ban on assault rifles like the one that killed their friends a week before.

If we have taken anything away from Parkland, it's that we no longer have the luxury of delegating the care of our most marginalized students.

Mental health care access also matters. Governments should fund more robust school counseling programs so that students get care long before their feelings of despair and isolation metastasize into violence. But meeting that need will involve cumbersome debates, rebudgeting and hiring. All of that takes time.

Meanwhile, our efforts to address mental health in school have limitations. Researchers who study the impact of mental illness stigma have found that students identified as needing mental health services sometimes find that their friends then avoid them, their family members pity and distrust them, and their teachers fear them and underestimate their abilities.

So while we wait for governments to restrict access to guns and increase access to effective mental health care, what can teachers do?

If we have taken anything away from Parkland, it's that we no longer have the luxury of delegating the care of our most marginalized students to what passes for community mental health. Nor can we siphon off responsibility to providers in our schools - guidance counselors, psychologists, and social workers - or to contexts like advisory or health class that don't command the same respect or rigor from our students. Teachers might fear exploring mental health, a province we're told isn't ours. But apart from parents, who knows kids better than teachers?
RELATED: Teachers' Lounge: A student's obituary should never say 'gunned down while studying for chemistry'
No other profession is better placed to gain the trust of a student in crisis, or a student who might come forward about a struggling peer. Who is better placed than a teacher to organize a student's environment and be a source of consistent support? Our lives may depend on our willingness to brave the shoals of the distressed and the defeated, the socially ostracized and the academically remedial.

As teachers, we can decide to make school more than a place where students learn the skills to cleverly navigate the internet for the purpose of acquiring high-powered weapons. Or making homemade munitions, as in the case of the Columbine murderers. Even obtaining the capital, locating suppliers and identifying safe storage requires, in the darkest way, what we might call initiative, problem solving, creativity and attention to detail. When we teach such "21st century skills" and traditional academic knowledge, what are we helping students use it for?

Is the only purpose of school "to ensure that students graduating from high school are prepared to take credit bearing introductory courses in two- or four-year college programs or enter the workforce," or can school also become a place where students learn how they want to treat themselves, each other, and their world?

Gonzalez's speech was so moving ... because at the worst moment in her school's history, she took charge of her learning and her life.

Emma Gonzalez's speech was so moving not only because she had her facts correct and made sound arguments, but because at the worst moment in her school's history, she took charge of her learning and her life.

Maybe an important element of preventing violence and suicide is empowering all students to make their lives meaningful, in and beyond school. Maybe if students learn how to accept feelings of frustration, fear and embarrassment, they won't need to avoid those feelings by hurting themselves or someone else.

As teachers, we can ask ourselves these questions:

Who at school is empowered and why?

In what contexts at school are students choosing actions consistent with their values?

In what contexts are students struggling to find meaning and fulfillment?

How can we use our academic classes as opportunities for students to explore and enact their values?

Who is most marginalized, and how can we help them reconnect with their families, peers and teachers?

What further support do students need, and how can we help them get it?

So on March 14, when we walk out, we are putting legislators on notice that they'd better make restricting access to firearms their immediate priority. When we walk back in, we can step up to a role where we are choosing to measure ourselves not only by the academic and athletic achievements of students who already feel successful, but also by the extent to which all students turn school into a source of meaning and vitality.
The PBS NewsHour's Teachers' Lounge blog, written by teachers or school-related staff, gives the public a glimpse into how current events affect life inside schools. Sign up for the PBS NewsHour Education mailer here.

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Opinion: To prevent school shootings, can mental health be taught?

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Less than two weeks ago, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School senior Emma Gonzalez delivered what amounts to a post-millennial rebuke to every preceding American generation for failing to protect her and her peers. She spoke out against our overly permissive gun laws, the corporate interests that maintain them and the cultural affiliations that make many of us reluctant to accept change.

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We've all been there. On the brink of an emotional breakdown, (maybe even in the middle of one) concerned about school, extracurriculars, college, what the heck we're going to be and in the future. Every negative emotion you know bottled up and boiling, and feeling as if it's only a moment before you spontaneously combust. You lash out at friends and family, can't focus on school work, or maybe even completely disengage from it all. do

But the question we must ask ourselves is: how did we get here? And more importantly: what the hell do we do now?

Mental health is something that is rarely talked about within schools (whether that be elementary, middle, high school, or beyond) and yet it is something that is guaranteed to affect everybody's life in one way or another.

We've all gotten sick before right? Sprained an ankle, maybe even broken a bone? And we all know that if we're hurt, that we should go and see a doctor, fix what needs to be fixed, and move on with our lives. But for some odd reason, we don't view our mental health in the same light. We will all struggle with our mental health, yet will rarely -if ever- do anything about it. And as of right now, our schools do not help very much in getting the help or education we need.

Don't get me wrong, our health classes do brush up on the definitions of some things; depression, anxiety, maybe even eating disorders if you're lucky. Other than that though, mental illnesses are viewed as these scary, faraway things that will never truly affect us. A topic too taboo to discuss with the youngsters. Something that means, if we do happen to be that the one in a billion instance of being affected, that we can basically kiss the rest of our life goodbye.

Have I got some news for you, buckaroo.

The statistics surrounding mental illnesses are -to put it lightly- incredibly jarring. One in five of every youth aged 13 to 18 have, or will have, a serious mental illness. Around 8.6% of all of the youth in America have severe depression, however a staggering 76% of those affected -that's around 1.6 million kids- have received inadequate, or simply zero treatment for it at all.

Nearly 50% of adults with chronic mental illnesses developed diagnosable symptoms by the age of 14. Suicide is the third leading cause of death in youth ages 10 to 24, with 90% of those who have died due to suicide having had an underlying mental illness. I could keep going, but these facts barely even graze the tip of the iceberg in regards to mental health and it's affect on our society, especially our youth, today. Yet, the discussion around mental health is still incredibly lacking (if it's even there to begin with).

Based on my own personal experience, I think that the stigmatization of these topics has made it near impossible for students to realize the overbearing presence of mental health struggles amongst our age demographic. Our society has consistently romanticized and ridiculed the topic, to the point where the only mention of mental illnesses are when they're used as a descriptor, derogatory term, joke, or some crude combination of all three. I mean, how many of us have heard -or even said- phrases along the lines of "I'm, like, super OCD" or "ugh, she is so bipolar" or "I wish I was anorexic."

Films and other media have romanticized many of these illnesses to be seen as desirable or "quirky" personality traits. We don't even realize that it's happening, however, mental illnesses are constantly being framed in a wonky light, therefore further subconsciously perpetuating our negative association with it's presence. And unfortunately, this stigma surrounding mental health is only growing.

So what do we do now? How do we get rid of something that is so deeply ingrained within our society?

That's where schools come in.

Ah yes school, the dreaded center of knowledge and (let's be more realistic here) stress. But, there is a power schools have that we often ignore. Schools are the epicenters of education (well, ) and are one of the few places where we get to learn about issues that are prevalent, (normally) in the hopes that one day, currently may be the ones to solve them.

The first step towards solving a problem is recognizing it's a problem in the first place. And somehow, even with its heavy impact and undeniable looming presence in our day-to-day lives, the topic of mental health has been completely avoided by our education system. Now, this is not our schools fault, but I'd be lying if I said that we couldn't do completely more in emphasizing the importance of mental health education and awareness within our schools. Starting off by acknowledging theses issues from the get-go. way

One of the biggest problems I faced while struggling with my own mental health, was simply having no idea where to go or what to do about it. I felt ashamed of my actions, I felt hatred towards myself, and I felt as if all of my struggles were somehow "invalid" and didn't or need "treatment." Having discussed this with many mental health advocates, it seems as though these are recurring feelings amongst nearly everyone who has ever had to reach out for help in regards to their mental health. And every single one of those people would all tell you the same thing: that treatment is not only helpful, but absolutely, positively, matter in order to get better. necessary

Nearly 20% of youth aged 13 to 18 have a diagnosable mental illnesses, yet our schools barely educate us on what these mental illnesses are. We need to have education on these issues starting from elementary and middle school -where these issues first start arising. We need resources at the ready, with mental health information known just as well as we know the quadratic formula.

One of the hardest parts of learning about your mental health is learning to take care of it, but if that's something we learn as part of our general education, that problem can be completely erased.

In response to this lack of education, and (honestly) out of sheer curiosity, I decided to hold a poll on my Instagram. In this poll, I asked six questions in relation to mental health and mental illness education within schools, and asked people to respond to them with a yes or no answer. The results of the poll can be found at the end of this article, but there were two questions in particular whose results, I think, perfectly sum up how mental health education is handled within our schools today.

In my first question, I asked whether people thought that mental health should be discussed more in schools. Ninety-four percent of them answered yes. Next, I asked whether their schools taught about mental illnesses and/or mental health and how to deal with them. Seventy-three percent of them answered no.

Can you see the issue here? It's not the fact that kids don't want to learn about these issues. In fact, it can be seen that they'd prefer it if they did. But when more than 70% of them aren't provided with any information on these topics in the first place, how will they ever be able to acknowledge, and even further, solve the issues regarding them?

One of the main reasons that mental health and illness awareness is so stigmatized can be traced back to that fact that we aren't educated on what these things are in the first place. We aren't aware of the fact that will struggle with their mental health, regardless of whether they have a mental illness or not. We aren't aware of the fact that even if we don't have a mental illness ourselves, we are guaranteed to know someone who does, based purely off of statistics. everyone We aren't aware of the fact that our mental health is identical to our physical health, in that, if we don't take care of it, it slowly deteriorate. We aren't aware of the staggering statistics about mental illnesses and how they affect our society. We aren't given the tools to know what common mental health struggles are or how to take care of them. We aren't given the resources necessary to properly seek additional help if we need it. will

Coming from someone who struggled with bulimia from when she was 12 until I was 15, who didn't understand the extent of danger she was putting herself in everyday she didn't get help, who felt alone, who didn't know that recovery was possible -let alone even a thing , who has watched her some of her closest friends nearly lose their lives to suicide, who talked to nearly hundreds of other students before she realized just how relevant this issue is: we need proper mental health education within our schools.

Not just for that every 1 in 5 statistic, not just for all of the too-young lives lost to suicide, not just for the millions of kids who have to struggle in silence everyday, but for everybody.

Because mental illness is what it's been portrayed as in our media. Because our mental health is something we should brush under the rug. Because 1.6 million children should not have to suffer with a diagnosable medical issue without treatment because it isn't seen as what it is: a medical issue. Because, yes, some diseases are chronic, but all of them can be made livable with proper treatment. And most importantly because we are not, and should never be, alone in these struggles.

Without a proper education on these topics, we will never be able to move forward in eliminating the stigma around them. There are so many other aspects in regards to mental health's presence in our society today, but we need to start . Without resources initially being provided to our youth, these jarring numbers will only continue to rise as we grow older.

So, let's get this conversation going. Start to talk about these issues more. Reach out to your schools about providing resources and raising awareness. Do not ignore your mental health. Try to be more aware of the people surrounding you and how they may be struggling as well, I can guarantee you'll be shocked at the sheer amount of people who are affected; whether directly or indirectly.

Because if there is one thing I can tell you with the utmost confidence, it's that you deserve to live your life to the fullest. That your struggles are valid and should be treated as such. That we can be the force to change the course of how mental health is viewed and treated within our daily lives.

We are the future. Let's make sure that we do everything in our power to ensure that we're a progressive, aware, supportive, and healthy one.

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Instagram Poll:
I asked six yes or no questions in regards to mental health & illness awareness, these are the results:

Question 1: Do you think mental health should be discussed more in school and/or daily life in general?

Question 2: Have you ever struggles with your own mental health?

Question 3: Do you know someone who has struggled with their mental health and/or has had a mental illness?

Question 4: Do you ever feel like you have to ignore your mental health struggles (whether it be due to to school, gender roles, familial, societal, or any other reasons)?

Question 5: Does your school teach you about mental illnesses and/or mental health and how to deal with one or both of them?

Question 6: If yes to the last question, does your school provide accommodations, resources, and/or help for those who may struggles with mental health issues?

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Sources for Statistics:
https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-By-the-Numbers

Mental Health America- Facts, Stats, and Data
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/issues/state-mental-health-america http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/issues/mental-health-america-youth-data

US Department of Health and Human Services- Mental Health Myths and Facts:
https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/myths-facts/index.html

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Opinion: Why we need to talk about mental health in schools

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We've all been there. On the brink of an emotional breakdown, (maybe even in the middle of one) concerned about school, extracurriculars, college, what the heck we're going to be and do in the future. Every negative emotion you know bottled up and boiling, and feeling as if it's only a moment before you spontaneously...

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Whatever the questions we choose to ask about mental health, and there are many, two things are clear: the upsurge of illness in our young should be of huge concern to us all; and we need to look at better ways of addressing the causes rather than waiting to deal with the consequences.

There have, of course, been many attempts to do just that. A growing number of schools have attempted to change their culture by instigating programmes aimed at improving resilience and self-esteem, by improving their pastoral and monitoring procedures or by introducing classes in happiness and well-being, but most are merely scratching at the surface.

We might not fully understand what has made so many of our young so vulnerable and lacking in confidence, but we can speculate that the focus on IQ and academic achievement above EQ and well-being, as well as the break-down of family, are obvious areas that have eroded confidence and left children without the inner resources to cope.

The need for more urgent and concerted action can no longer be ignored and, over recent months, a number of leading heads and school associations have spoken out about mental health, the impact of league tables, the increase in tutoring, the extent of depression among students and cyber-bullying, based in part on the findings of a survey of independent schools released in October.

A brave few have even acknowledged the problems existing in their own school communities, which is commendable and the first step to involving the whole school community in finding solutions.

However, the response from many other heads and governors, who have ignored the growing extent of children's mental health issues in their own schools for far too long, has been disingenuous at best.

In many schools, the problems are not new and while more money and resources are now being diverted to address mental health issues, a few still appear to care more about their academic results than the mental health and well-being of their students.

The boom in tutoring, for instance, which a number of heads are now ready to criticise, can be seen as an entirely understandable response by parents to the over-rigorous testing and entrance exams, often poorly communicated by schools by smoke and mirrors, and undertaken in such a way that shows little consideration for their impact on children and families involved.

Tutoring may well be a symptom of a system in free-fall and struggling to cope, but regardless, the causes of the growing mental health problems lie largely with the schools and it is the causes, not the symptoms, that need addressing.

For that to happen, whole school cultures will need to change, and sometimes, radically so.

A number of steps can be taken. First, schools must recognise that it is not competition and hard work that causes stress and mental health issues among their students, rather fear and anxiety.

Schools that have not been averse to using anxiety - however unwittingly - and fear of failure to drive performance, urgently need to review their practice and ethos.

As well, in the face of a largely unregulated and often hostile virtual world, students must be taught better coping strategies, both on-line and off, and have better support from appropriately trained staff (which means some teachers being trained in social media).

What students don't need as they navigate the often difficult years of adolescence is to be over-monitored and managed, but rather guided and supported by informed adults. More counsellors are urgently needed, and, in some instances, the ethos of schools needs to be changed.

The Government, of course, has to play its part through extra funding for the sector specifically to help tackle the issue of mental health, but it is schools that need to take a lead in protecting the well-being and mental health of their students.

Peter Tait, former headmaster of Sherborne Preparatory School

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'Causes of growing mental health problems sit largely within schools'

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Whatever the questions we choose to ask about mental health, and there are many, two things are clear: the upsurge of illness in our young should be of huge concern to us all; and we need to look at better ways of addressing the causes rather than waiting to deal with the consequences.

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Despite the change that may arise from the education of students, there are several barriers to the implementation of education programs and workshops in schools across the country. One of the barriers is the fact that the length of time that the programs last for is not long enough to make a significant change. Many of the programs, including the ones in the previous studies, consist of rigorous but short periods of teaching that may not fully address the issue or impact the students in an effective way. Also, only teaching the basics of mental health is not enough to make a change, and the education needs to be supported by a larger strategy devised by the schools. This large strategy on dealing with mental health should be applied year-round and should include promotion of physical, emotional, and social well-being for all students. However, longer education programs and strategies require money that many schools do not have. The resources needed to teach the children cost money while many of the programs require bringing people to talk to the students that have to be paid. Teachers also have to be compensated for their extra effort in educating the students on topics other than the standard curriculum. Another barrier is the fact that time spent talking about mental health and illness takes away the time needed to teach required school topics. Overall, many schools do not perceive that education about mental health and disorders is worthwhile as evidence suggests that improvements in knowledge and attitude are usually maintained only in the short term, and that such education may not even have an impact on behavior.

https://academic.oup.com/schizophreniabulletin/article/30/3/563/1933089

http://eds.b.ebscohost.com/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=0&sid=19e83766-768f-4f27-bd4a-7fcf30b14318%40pdc-v-sessmgr03

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One way schools can alleviate the cost of educating their students is by partnering with other schools so that all can share the costs and spread the knowledge. An example of this initiative is the “We Care” Campaign for mental health awareness in Florida that started out with a collaborative partnership between David Lawrence Center (a non-profit mental health center), the Collier County Public Schools, and the sheriff’s department. The members of this partnership work to identify possible strategies for prevention, intervention, and treatment for mental illness or mental health concerns. The partnership has also initiated an open dialog for maintaining the safety, wellness, achievement, and happiness of middle and high school students. The campaign launches several videos throughout the year addressing stigma, warning signs of suicide, depression, substance abuse, and bullying, and how to confront each problem if necessary. All of these resources are important to keep the children aware of the mental health crisis at a relatively low cost. Another solution is educating certain students from all grade levels about the crisis and enabling them to educate their peers. This solution is also cost-saving as students take over and paying teachers no longer becomes an issue. The solution is also arguably more effective as students feel more comfortable discussing their problems with people who can understand their struggles and who are more at their age level. This strategy was implemented in an awareness program called the Peer-to-Peer Depression Awareness Program involving the Ann Arbor Public Schools in Michigan. The children that were educated had to attend a six-hour conference and then launched a campaign that lasted almost the entire year. The campaign did not take time away from school as students shared information by hosting assemblies and by placing posters and flyers on the walls. In May, the different schools that participated in the program gathered together and shared what they had learned. The overall results showed that the educated students were more comfortable in identifying and talking about mental illness as well as helping others with depression. Those who were taught by these students were more likely to seek help and to talk to counselors if they had a problem as well as to talk to their peers about their problem.

https://davidlawrencecenter.org/blog/news/student-mental-health-awareness-campaign-launched-in-collier-county-public-schools/

https://www.healio.com/psychiatry/depression/news/online/%7Ba7c234aa-0f1c-464b-84ff-99b6cf1bf49a%7D/student-led-awareness-program-boosts-teens-knowledge-of-depression