Mental Awareness in Schools

By Chloe Ackerman 

I believe that there should be more mental health programs in place for struggling students. One in 5 teens struggle with mental health issues, that's 49% but only 21% of students receive help with their struggles. 

How can schools help change this for students? A large part of mental health support in schools starts with awareness. Students need to be educated about mental health in order to be aware of the signs, so they can know where to go for help and may be able to help others. Making mental health a part of the curriculum will be very helpful for students and mental health is seen as a bit of a taboo subject and many people are embarrassed to talk about it, particularly in school. 

To overcome this, it is important to make sure mental health is made a priority in the school and is inserted in the curriculum wherever possible. Mental health does not only affect students in their day to day lives, but also makes it difficult to keep up with school work and focus in class. 

It's important that students know that they are not alone and have the support of their teachers. Making more mental health programs available for struggling students will help normalize the importance of mental health, help students struggle less with their school work, and overall help us feel less on our own.