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Mental and Emotional Health

Healthy Eating

Physical Activity

Safety and Preventing Unintentional Injury

Intentional Injury and Violence

Preventing Alcohol and Drug Use

Trauma

Personal Health and Wellness

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This article on the correlation between mental health and academic performance from Independent School Management discusses the negative impact mental health problems can have on students’ academic performance. According to this article, over 50% of students at every high school level identify depression, anxiety, and stress as obstacles to learning. Mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem can cause students to have difficulty focusing on school and remaining engaged in class. This in turn leads to absences, difficulties making friends, inability to learn or complete work, and poor grades. This article stresses the importance of schools working to find solutions to this problem. Some solutions are teachers accommodating struggling students and schools training staff to learn how to support students who are dealing with mental health problems. Teachers should be aware of the effects of mental health issues could have on their students so that they can implement strategies in their classrooms and ensure they are supporting their students in the best way they can. Schools and teachers should also make sure they have appropriate resources and strategies to support their student's mental health so that students can learn to the best of their ability and focus on school.

Understanding the Impact of Mental Health on Academic Performance. (2023, February 12). Independent School Management. Retrieved from https://isminc.com/advisory/publications/the-source/understanding-impact-mental-health-academic-performance

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Independent School Management | Advancing School Leadership-Enriching The Student Experience

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Mental health is an essential component of student success. Students struggling with poor mental health will face overall poor academic outcomes.

According to a 2022 YouthTruth student survey, over 50% of students at every high school grade level cited depression, stress, and anxiety as obstacles to learning -making these conditions ubiquitous in the culture of American teenagers. Additionally, the survey results indicated the percentage of students who feel happy about their lives declines 3-12 grades.

What is even more alarming is that fewer than half of secondary students-regardless of grade level, gender, race, or LGBTQ+ status-report they have an adult at school they can talk to when they feel upset or stressed, or have a problem.

It is abundantly clear mental health and academic performance are intertwined. Schools must take action if they intend to maintain their commitment to their students' overall well-being and academic excellence.

The Connection Between Mental Health and Academic Performance

Mental health challenges affect every facet of student life. Low self-esteem leads to decreased motivation and a lack of confidence when completing tasks or taking tests. Anxiety can make it difficult for students to study or attend classes. Depression can lead to decreased focus and concentration, making it hard for a student to remain engaged or complete work on time. But those are just a few of the complex challenges students face when managing their mental health and academic performance.

Left unaddressed, students with mental health challenges can experience adverse outcomes in their young lives. These include:

trouble making friends,

inability to learn, concentrate, or complete work,

poor grades,

absences,

suspension, and

expulsion.

Ultimately, left without support, students may even consider death by suicide.

When a student's unique needs are recognized, understood, and supported, they can showcase their strengths and reach their true potential. Student mental health needs are part of them, and it is your job as an educator to understand mental health implications in their learning.

What about students with learning differences?

Learning differences such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) also play a harmful role in academic performance, particularly when they are not addressed in a learning plan. In fact, 70% of students with learning disabilities experience more symptoms of anxiety than students without learning disabilities, with anxiety and reading disorders co-occurring in approximately one in four students.

For example, students with ADHD may need help focusing, even when placed in supportive learning environments. Poorly managed ADHD and learning could lead them to fall behind in their studies or fail classes altogether. In the most extreme cases, students could experience bullying because of their ADHD, leaving them feeling stigmatized, which could impact an undiagnosed or co-occurring mental health challenge.

Schools must recognize that all mental health conditions are real and take steps to provide accommodations. Doing so better allows students the opportunity to learn effectively despite any mental health challenges they may be facing.

Mental Health and Its Impact on School Community

Mental health issues among students have far-reaching implications for school communities at large.

Teachers may become overwhelmed trying to manage students with mental health needs within the classroom setting.

Counseling centers and learning support specialists may become overburdened with requests for help.

Parents may be concerned about their child's ability to succeed academically.

Other members of the school community may struggle with how best to support those in need.

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Solutions to Consider

Schools should implement policies that empower teachers with more flexibility to accommodate students with special needs due to mental illness or disability-for example, allowing extra time on assignments or tests without penalty for late submissions.

Additionally, schools can train staff members in caring and thoughtful ways to manage and support students with mental health issues.

Finally, schools should offer additional resources-counseling sessions, therapy groups, or telehealth services -to support counselors and nursing staff who are already overwhelmed.

Telehealth allows students to connect with a professional on the student's terms, by the way of technology they're familiar with-reducing the social stigma teens may feel in seeking mental health support. In addition, with telehealth, teens can receive care without worrying about being seen or traveling to a therapist's office with their parents.

Taking Telehealth to Another Level

Schools nationwide are struggling to provide the support and qualified personnel needed to address mental health. Even if your school has an active counseling program, your staff can't be available 24/7/365 to your entire student population.

ISM's Wellness in Independent Secondary Education (WISE) program provides students in grades 9-12 access to mental health professionals 24 hours a day, seven days a week, through a custom phone app. Students can connect with professionals by calling or texting-the response is almost instantaneous.

Through on-demand access to an expansive network of licensed and experienced mental health and medical professionals, students receive support for:

mental health-including anxiety and stress;

primary and psychiatric care coordination;

sexual and interpersonal violence support and advocacy;

cognitive behavior therapy (CBT);

suicide awareness, assessment, and prevention; and

well-being and resiliency.

WISE is tailored to your school's unique needs-and complementary to your existing resources. Our goal is to empower your administrators, counseling services, and faculty members to provide the best support possible for your students.

For more information about WISE, please visit our webpage.

As a school leader, early identification and detection of mental health concerns support students to succeed academically. By considering flexible policies, providing appropriate training for staff members, and offering resources such as counseling sessions, therapy groups, or telehealth aimed explicitly at helping students cope, your school will be better equipped than ever to deal effectively with these complex issues-ensuring all young people reach their full potential both inside and outside the classroom walls.

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Understanding the Impact of Mental Health on Academic Performance | Independent School Management | Advancing School Leadership-Enriching The Student Experience

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Mental health is an essential component of student success. Students struggling with poor mental health will face overall poor academic outcomes. According to a 2022 YouthTruth student survey, over 50% of students at every high school grade level cited depression, stress, and anxiety as obstacles to learning -making these conditions ubiquitous in the culture of American teenagers.

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This article from U.S. News on services in schools to support healthy eating discusses the new nutrition guidelines introduced by the Biden Administration in April. These new nutrition guidelines mean the meals served in schools must contain less sodium and sugar. While these new guidelines are an attempt to combat childhood obesity, some school nutrition directors worry that this will not be an effective solution. These guidelines create stricter menu options for schools which might lead to students choosing less healthy food options and more food waste. They also argue that labor shortages and inflated prices on food might make it difficult to implement this new strategy. It’s important for teachers to be aware of the nutrition guidelines being implemented in schools so they can ensure their students are eating healthily. It’s also important, however, that they are able to recognize if the nutrition guidelines implemented in their schools are positively or negatively impacting their students’ diets and eating habits. If students are not eating enough or not eating what they should be, this can affect their learning, so teachers should make sure they are teaching healthy eating habits and also making sure their students' hunger is being satisfied.

Valdmanis, R. (2024, April 24). Biden Administration Toughens School Nutrition Standards. U.S. News. Retrieved from https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2024-04-24/biden-administration-toughens-school-nutrition-standards

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(Reuters) - The Biden administration on Wednesday announced new rules limiting the sugar and sodium content of meals served to millions of children at U.S. public schools.

The standards unveiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture are part of President Joe Biden's broader effort to combat diet-related disease such as childhood obesity.

"We all share the goal of helping children reach their full potential," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in announcing the new standards.

The plan will, for the first time, require schools to limit added sugars in meals nationwide by 2027, as well as slightly reduce sodium content, according to the USDA.

It also seeks to make it easier for schools to offer protein-rich and vegetarian options and encourage districts to buy locally grown or raised foods.

Starting in 2025, the standards will also impose limits on the percentage of food grown or raised outside the United States, the USDA said - a move aimed at supporting U.S. farmers.

"The new standards build on the great progress that school meals have made already and address remaining challenges," said USDA Food and Nutrition Service Administrator Cindy Long.

U.S. public schools serve breakfast and lunch to about 30 million children daily, according to the USDA.

Some school nutrition directors have warned that stricter meal guidelines could force schools to scale back menus, inadvertently pushing students to less healthy food choices.

They have also pointed out that inflated food prices and labor shortages can make new regulations difficult to implement.

The debate over school nutrition has spanned several administrations.

The Obama administration raised standards, requiring schools to serve fruits and vegetables daily and offer more whole grains. Under the Trump administration, some of those requirements were rolled back.

(Reporting by Richard Valdmanis. Editing by Gerry Doyle)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters.

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Biden Administration Toughens School Nutrition Standards

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US News is a recognized leader in college, grad school, hospital, mutual fund, and car rankings. Track elected officials, research health conditions, and find news you can use in politics, business, health, and education.

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This article from The New York Times on physical exercise discusses how physical fitness can lead to better mental health in children. A study discussed in this article found that physical activity and exercise can protect children from developing depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Children who are more fit and physically active have a smaller chance of developing mental health disorders. The link between physical fitness and mental health shows that children should be active and participate in physical exercises. Teachers have the opportunity to incorporate movement and physical activities in their classrooms. By including brain breaks, physical activities, and movement in the classroom, teachers can promote better mental health in their students and increase their wellbeing.

Richtel, M. (2024, April 29). Physical Fitness Linked to Better Mental Health in Young People. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/29/health/adolescents-exercise-mental-health.html

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Physical Fitness Linked to Better Mental Health in Young People

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A new study bolsters existing research suggesting that exercise can protect against anxiety, depression and attention challenges.

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Safety and Preventing Unintentional Injury

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Safety and Preventing Unintentional Injury

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This article from CBS News on school bus safety discusses a new AI software that is working to promote school bus safety. This software, called Samsara, has cameras that contain AI technology that can detect unsafe errors. According to the article, between 2016 and 2020 there were almost 2,800 school bus crashes in Minnesota. This alarming statistic proves the need for promoting school bus safety. While this might not have a direct impact on teachers in their classroom, it is important for them to raise awareness for school bus safety and promote new technology such as Samsara that can help to protect their students. Teachers should also be aware of the statistics behind school bus injuries and crashes so that they can discuss safe school bus practices with their students and the families of their students.

Ali, U. (2024, September 12). Artificial intelligence working to make school buses safer. CBS News. Retrieved from https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/school-bus-safety-samsara-technology/

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Artificial intelligence working to make school buses safer

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From 2016-2020, there were nearly 2,800 school bus crashes in the state.

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This article on abuse and neglect from Verywellmind discusses how childhood emotional abuse can alter brain structure. This article found that around 14% of Americans report having experienced emotional abuse or neglect during childhood. Prolonged experiences of emotional abuse have been found to negatively affect areas of the brain such as the hippocampus, the amygdala, and the cerebellum. Additionally, the impacts of emotional abuse can affect children’s behavior and emotional and social well-being and lead to mental health problems in adults. It’s important for teachers to get to know their students and be able to recognize the possible signs of emotional abuse in their students. Students who experience emotional abuse may struggle with learning or exhibit unwanted behaviors. It’s important for teachers to be aware of the statistics behind children experiencing emotional abuse and neglect so that they know to look for it in their students and learn how to best support their students who may experience it.

Holmes, L. (2024, March 10). How Emotional Abuse in Childhood Changes the Brain. Verywellmind. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/childhood-abuse-changes-the-brain-2330401

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Childhood emotional abuse and neglect can result in permanent changes to the developing human brain. These changes in brain structure appear to be significant enough to potentially cause psychological and emotional problems in adulthood, such as psychological disorders and substance misuse.

Around 14% of Americans report experiencing emotional abuse or neglect during their childhood. Emotional abuse can include:

Insulting, name-calling, or swearing at a child

Threatening to physically harm the child

Terrorizing or otherwise making the child feel afraid

Emotional neglect involves failing to meet a child's emotional needs. This can include failing to:

Believe in the child

Create a close-knit family

Make the child feel special or important

Provide support

Want the child to be successful

How Abuse Alters Brain Structure

As children grow, their brains undergo periods of rapid development. Negative experiences can disrupt those developmental periods, leading to changes in the brain later on.

Research supports this idea and suggests that the timing and duration of childhood abuse can impact the way it affects those children later in life. Abuse that occurs early in childhood for a prolonged period of time, for example, can lead to particularly negative outcomes.

Dr. Martin Teicher and his colleagues at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Northeastern University studied this relationship between abuse and brain structure by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology to identify measured changes in brain structure among young adults who had experienced childhood abuse or neglect.

They found clear differences in nine brain regions between those who had experienced childhood trauma and those who had not. The most obvious changes were in the brain regions that help balance emotions and impulses, as well as self-aware thinking. The study's results indicate that people who have been through childhood abuse or neglect do have an increased risk of developing mental health issues later on.

Effects on Brain Structure

Childhood abuse and neglect can have several negative effects on how the brain develops. Some of these are:

Decreased size of the corpus callosum, which integrates cortical functioning-motor, sensory, and cognitive performances-between the hemispheres

Decreased size of the hippocampus, which is important in learning and memory

Dysfunction at different levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is involved in the stress response

Less volume in the prefrontal cortex, which affects behavior, emotional balance, and perception

Overactivity in the amygdala, which is responsible for processing emotions and determining reactions to potentially stressful or dangerous situations

Reduced volume of the cerebellum, which can affect motor skills and coordination

Press Play for Advice On Healing Childhood Wounds

Hosted by Editor-in-Chief and therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast, featuring award-winning actress Chrissy Metz, shares how to heal childhood trauma, safeguard your mental health, and how to get comfortable when faced with difficult emotions. Click below to listen now.

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Effects on Behavior, Emotions, and Social Function

Because childhood abuse, neglect, and trauma change brain structure and chemical function, maltreatment can also affect the way children behave, regulate emotions, and function socially. These potential effects include:

Being constantly on alert and unable to relax, no matter the situation

Feeling fearful most or all of the time

Finding social situations more challenging

Learning deficits

Not hitting developmental milestones in a timely fashion

A tendency to develop a mental health condition

A weakened ability to process positive feedback

These effects can continue to cause issues in adulthood if they're not addressed. Adults who experienced maltreatment during childhood may have trouble with interpersonal relationships-or they may avoid them altogether.

This outcome could be related to attachment theory, or the idea that our early relationships with caregivers influence the way we relate to people later on in life. Emotional abuse and neglect don't allow for a secure attachment to form between a child and caregiver, which causes distress for the child and influences the way they see themselves and others.

Adults who went through childhood emotional abuse or neglect may also experience:

How childhood abuse or neglect affects children later in life depends on a variety of factors:

How often the abuse occurred

The age the child was during the abuse

Who the abuser was

Whether or not the child had a dependable, loving adult in their life

How long the abuse lasted

If there were any interventions in the abuse

The kind and severity of the abuse

Other individual factors

Through treatment, it is possible to address the effects of childhood emotional abuse and neglect. Treatment in these cases is highly individual since maltreatment can take many forms and each person's response to it may differ.

Any form of treatment would likely include therapy and, depending on whether or not any other mental health conditions are present, may include medication as well. Some effective forms of therapy are:

Exposure therapy: Exposure therapy involves interacting with something that typically provokes fear while slowly learning to remain calm. This form of therapy may improve neural connections between several regions in the brain.

Family therapy: Family therapy is a psychological treatment intended to improve relationships within the entire family and create a better, more supportive home environment. This type of treatment may improve HPA axis functioning and lead to a healthier stress response.

Mindfulness-based approaches: Mindfulness-based therapy focuses on helping people develop a sense of awareness of their thoughts and feelings so they can understand them and better regulate them. These approaches may help improve resiliency against stress by benefiting several brain regions and improving neural connections.

Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT): TF-CBT focuses on helping people learn new coping skills, restructure negative or unhelpful thoughts, regulate their moods, and overcome trauma by crafting a trauma narrative. This form of therapy may help reduce overactivity in the amygdala.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the definition of childhood maltreatment?

Childhood maltreatment is any type of abuse or neglect of a child younger than 18 by a parent, caregiver, or another adult. It can include physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect.

What are the signs of child abuse?

Signs of child abuse can include physical symptoms like unexplained pain, bruises, changes in weight, headaches, or abdominal pain. Behavioral symptoms can include aggression toward peers, social withdrawal, poor performance at school, sexualized behavior, or self-harm. Poor hygiene, issues with eating, or being dressed inappropriately for the weather may also indicate maltreatment.

By Leonard Holmes, PhD
Leonard Holmes, PhD, is a pioneer of the online therapy field and a clinical psychologist specializing in chronic pain and anxiety.

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Childhood Abuse and Neglect Actually Change Brain Structure

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Childhood emotional abuse and neglect can result in permanent changes to the developing human brain. These changes in brain structure appear to be significant enough to potentially cause psychological and emotional problems in adulthood, such as psychological disorders and substance misuse. Around 14% of Americans report experiencing emotional abuse or neglect during their childhood.

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This article from The Bulletin on community and school efforts to curtail alcohol and drug use discusses a grant the Norwich Prevention Council has received from the federal Drug-Free Communities Grant to support youth who struggle with substance use. The organizations who receive these funds will work towards supporting struggling youth and provide youth with drug-free social environments. The Prevention Council has previously and will continue to partner with schools through promoting social-emotional learning, drug education for fourth and fifth graders, and middle school health presentations. This Council works towards raising awareness about preventing underage substance use and providing resources and information for youth struggling with substance use. These types of organizations are especially important for schools to be aware of so they can partner with them to prevent underage substance use in their students. Many students are exposed to drug and alcohol use from a young age, and if teachers are aware of the problem of underage substance use and how to prevent it, they can be proactive about teaching and raising awareness on substance use as early as fourth grade and middle school.

Grahn, M. (2024, September 12). Working hard to prevent youth substance abuse: Norwich group gets $625K federal grant. The Bulletin. Retrieved from https://www.norwichbulletin.com/story/news/local/2024/09/12/norwich-ct-prevention-council-drug-free-communities-grant-student-mental-health/75163038007/

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Working hard to prevent youth substance abuse: Norwich group gets $625K federal grant

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The Norwich Prevention Council has received $625,000 from the federal Drug-Free Communities Grant. Here’s how it will help the city’s youth.

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This article from BBC on the types of trauma children and families may experience discusses the increasing prevalence of trauma from war in children and adults. This article says that the number of children worldwide living in active war zones has doubled since the mid-1990s. Experiencing traumatic war events can reroute a child’s nervous system, impact their mental health, and potentially lead to PTSD. However, this article discusses the resilience of young children and how with the right support, they can bounce back from these traumatic experiences. Many teachers may have students in their classrooms who have immigrated from areas where there were active war zones. They could have students who have experienced trauma from war which could negatively impact them in school. Teachers should be aware of the increasing number of children who live in active war zones and the growing possibility of having students who have experienced trauma from war so that they can educate themselves on how to support these students.

Ruggeri, A. (2024, February 21). Many children must live with the trauma of war. Here’s how to help them. BBC. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240220-ukraine-and-gaza-the-hidden-effects-of-war-trauma-on-children

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Many children must live with the trauma of war. Here’s how to help them

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Conflict in Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan has led to millions of children being exposed to violence, suffering displacement and losing family. The effects could last for decades.

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This article from NBC News on sleep and rest disucsses the possible correlation between lack of sleep and higher blood pressure. This article discusses that many children and teens do not get enough sleep with as many as a third of elementary aged kids not getting an adequate amount of sleep. This lack of sleep in children and teens can potentially lead to hypertension which can lead to the risk of developing heart disease later in life. This article points out that parents should limit their children’s screen time before bed to help combat this problem. Lack of sleep can negatively impact students in school and teachers should be aware of this problem so that they can promote positive sleeping habits. If teachers teach their students about healthy sleeping habits and teach wind-down routines in their classroom, it can help children get better sleep and therefore promote their focus and learning in school.

Carroll, L. (2024, June 18). Lack of sleep linked to high blood pressure in children and teens. NBC News. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/health/heart-health/lack-sleep-linked-high-blood-pressure-children-teens-new-research-find-rcna157561

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Lack of sleep linked to high blood pressure in children and teens

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New research may change how doctors talk with kids and their parents about hypertension.