Managing Mental Health in the Classroom

Why does mental health in the classroom matter?

LEARNING TARGETS

- Readers will be able to define mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety

- Readers will be able to define and list signs and symptoms of mental illness in the classroom

- Readers will be able to recognize and list strategies to manage student's mental illnesses

How can teachers recognize mental illnesses in their students? 

(3 Slides)

How can teachers help students with a mental illness? 

(4 slides)

According to Jacobson et al. (2002), rates of adolescent and teenage psychiatric and behavioral disorders are on a steep rise since the 1990’s, making it imperative now more than ever to intervene in these cases before any serious health, social, or academic declines happen. Because of our roles as teachers being a source of support for our students for a large part of their day, I believe we have a responsibility to play a role in the identification, management and treatment of all student illness whenever possible. For many of our students, school is just one more stressor on their daily lives. For students suffering from terminal illness, depression, eating disorders or other illnesses, these stresses can increase tenfold. Based on what I have researched, there are plenty of steps that teachers have accessible to them in their classrooms in order to create a more supportive and welcoming environment for suffering students. By creating a safe space and opening up lines of communication between parents and faculty, early identification and successful treatment or management of many of these illnesses is possible (Crundwell & Killu, 2007).