Why Every School Needs Mental Health Specialist

By  //  October 28, 2019

Schools need to be involved in the mental health of students. This is because students spend a lot of time in school, and parents cannot always be there to assess their kids’ treatment and care.

Schools need to be involved in the mental health of students. This is because students spend a lot of time in school, and parents cannot always be there to assess their kids’ treatment and care. 

Students with psychological problems and psychiatric illnesses need to be taken care of at all times. This is why every school needs a mental health department. With access to a mental health specialist, students living with mental illnesses have a place to run to before things get out of hand. 

Educators cannot afford to ignore the mental health of the students. Many students suffer from mental illness without knowing it. When discovered early enough, mental illnesses can easily be managed. This also means helping students cope with stress because this can easily turn in depression and anxiety. 

Aside from turning to professors for paper assistance, students should be able to turn to their lecturers when they feel overburdened by issues. Students have to keep up with their academic performance even when they are going through emotional turmoil. 

The Rise of Mental Health Needs

Many learning institutions have witnessed extreme manifestations of the mental health crisis that the world is facing today. Mental illness is a growing problem among the young. More kids require mental health with each academic year. 

Many parents with adolescents suffering from anxiety disorder are in the dark. Most guardians just assume it’s just a phase the kids are going through.

Kids that experience depression episodes blame themselves for not being in the right mind space to get their assignments done on time. Teachers who’re not aware of how depression episodes play out dismiss them like laziness and a lack of determination. 

Not to mention how drastically the suicide rate among teenagers has risen. Suicide is today the second leading cause of death among teenagers.

A school with limited mental wellness resources is not equipped to offer mentally ill students, the care they need. Schools should not focus on academic performance alone. Many kids are suffering in silence in trying to deal with the pressure that comes with academic expectations. 

Many Diagnosed Students don’t have access to Mental Health Services

Since students spend a lot of time in school, many who’ve been diagnosed with mental conditions go without mental health services. Aside from medication, students living with mental illnesses also require counseling and monitoring. Their behaviors can be quite unpredictable, and they might end up harming themselves or their fellow students. 

Every public school needs to have a department dedicated to taking care of mentally ill students. Anxiety and depression cripple many students to the point where they cannot perform academically. Another struggle many students go through is suicidal ideation. 

When you talk to college students, you realize many have thought about committing suicide more than ones. The reasons for such thoughts range from academic failure to a non-existent social life. We live in an image-driven society, and many young end up isolating themselves because they don’t feel confident about how they look. 

The Students of Today’s Generation have to deal with a lot 

Unlike in the past, when students had only academics to focus on, technology exposes the students of this generation to a lot of triggers. Since students carry smartphones to school, it means they have to deal with the pressure from social media all the time. 

Social media has been cited severally as a potential cause of the rise in mental illnesses among the youth. Photos people post on Facebook and Instagram sell an unrealistic lifestyle. Many college students who can barely make ends meet trying to use the little they have to live life as they see it on social media.

There are not enough people telling students that success takes time. Any college students with startup ideas expect their business to take the world by storm overnight.

There are also students studying abroad who don’t have a support system they can depend on. The transition from high school to college is hard enough, yet they still have to deal with feeling lost in a foreign land. Of course, studying aboard opens you up to more opportunities, but it comes with its challenges. 

Many Students are Suffering in Silence 

Even though people are more aware of mental illness, there is still a significant number of students who are suffering in silence. This is because a good number of parents don’t think to screen their children for mental illness.

With a mental health specialist in school, students with mental conditions can be treated before the illness metastasizes into a more serious problem.

Every school around the country should provide students with basic mental health support. A student who’s just be diagnosed with a mental condition requires guidance on how to manage their condition.

Such students should be taught how to identify and avoid triggers. This is because depression episodes drastically affect a student’s academic performance. 

When a child suffering from a mental condition gets left behind, it’s quite hard for them to catch up with the rest of the class. Depression screening should begin in kindergarten because when it’s caught early, it’s easier to manage.

Conclusion 

More students are suffering from mental illnesses today. Schools need to have departments dedicated to providing students with basic mental health services.

A mental health specialist is in a better position to help students manage their conditions. Parents and teachers should work hand in hand to ensure students are taken care of.