School and Mental
Health: Match Made in Heaven?
Are you thinking an overwhelming no? Maybe you should think again.
With the current rise in mental health awareness, it seemed like a better time than ever to write an article like this. The sudden increase in conversations about mental health has revealed how common problems with it actually are. Research suggest that one in ten young people have a diagnosable condition at any given time and 20% of adolescents have at least one mental health problem within a year[1].
Mental health problems affect everyone, no matter what age. However, the concern of recent times has been focused on the state of young people. Due to this specific age group being put in the spotlight, it would be easy to point the blame at school and the stress that comes alongside it.
The so called “best time of your life” never really seems it at the time, especially when exams come around. Coursework isn’t much better, but is school the only reason why students are feeling stressed? Does school often become a scapegoat? Is it right to solely blame them?
As a student myself it would be easy to jump on the bandwagon and join in on social media, normalising the depressed and anxious feelings students feel and blaming it on school. Instead, I decided to speak to my head sixth form to get another perspective on what can sometimes be quite a biased discussion.
I quizzed him about his thoughts on the relationship between school and the mental health of its students. Maybe as a teacher he was biased, but he was certainly willing to share a more positive outlook. He proposed the idea of school actually being a “different ear”, giving them an opportunity to talk to adults when with their parents they may feel “a little bit awkward”.
He also suggested that school isn’t always what’s bothering young people, acknowledging the fact that students have lives outside of education, stating that what he has seen an increase in is “students being more stressed from outside factors”, mentioning that he believes “social mediahas had a big impact”. Even though these issues may not necessarily be school related, he wanted to ensure that the school has “good listeners” that students are able to talk to.
Even though the school is equipped with a student services department, it cannot be responsible for dealing with more serious problems. This does not mean school don’t help. Instead, they refer the students too professional organisations who can deal with the issue better than a school could.
What does all this really mean though? Well it shows that the school cares, which is something easily forgotten when being squashed by all the work expected of you as a young person. School offers an environment away from external problems and provides you with non-judgmental adults with experience that will listen and help as much as they can. Maybe school should be thought more as a possible solution to stress rather than the source.
[1]BT. (2018). Worried your teenager is depressed? Here’s how parents can spot the signs – and what to do about it. Available: 1. https://home.bt.com/lifestyle/health/wellness/worried-your-teen-is-depressed-heres-how-parents-can-spot-the-signs-and-what-to-do-about-it-11364257914509 . Last accessed 20th May 2018
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