Teaching & Learning in a Pandemic: Spring 2021

Supporting Students with Mental Health Illnesses

By: Annie Tulensru

Learning Targets

At the end of the lesson, readers should be able to. . .

Readers will identify the effects online learning and social distancing have on a student's mental health.

Name three ideas that a high school senior, Nicole, has on how schools can take a better approach towards a student's mental health during the pandemic.

Nicolle believes teachers should understand that school is not the only priority in a student’s life.
Nicolle wants her teachers to have training on mental health and how to handle students displaying symptoms that a student needs help.
Nicolle wants educators to know that students believe their mental health is not taken seriously by teachers or peers.

Introduction

The year 2020 has affected many people globally. From the death of NBA all-star Koby Bryant to the deadly wildfires in Australia; 2020 is a year that people will never forget. The most well-known trouble we have had to face globally is the Covid-19 Pandemic. Many countries, companies, businesses, and schools have had to adjust to unexpected life changes. The Covid-19 Pandemic has caused a challenge within education, specifically the mental health of students worldwide. Mental Health disorders can affect behavior, mood, and thoughts. In this lesson, we are going to be looking at the effects that the pandemic has had on students' mental health. The mental health disorders we will be discussing are depression and anxiety.

What is Mental Health?

Interview

I had the opportunity to interview two different types of students: Emily Pruitt and Nicolle Ochoa. Both Emily and Nicolle suffer from different mental health disorders. Emily is a Sophomore in college who has struggled with depression and Nicolle is a high school senior who has severe anxiety that has affected her since she was twelve years old. For this lesson, I wanted input from a college student as well as a K-12 student in order to be able to compare and contrast how each student has adjusted to online learning. Both Emily and Nicolle have had their ups and downs when it comes to online learning. For the interviews, I asked each student a series of questions that related to their mental health before COVID-19. I was also able to get information about their current mental health within an online setting and how the change has affected their lifestyles.

Takeaway 1: Teachers need to understand that online learning is not for everyone.

Before the pandemic, Emily’s depression was not as severe as it is today. She says, “When school went to virtual learning, my grades and motivation lessened. I struggled to adjust to my classes and could not get out of a slump.” (Pruitt, Personal Communication, 2021) She continues to explain that there were not enough ways for students to understand what was going on or how to adjust to the change. Emily understood that everyone was having the same problem, but she wished there was more time for teachers to explain their teaching process.

Takeaway 2: Online learning is a bittersweet experience.

Nicolle’s anxiety has challenged her since she was in 5th grade. She explained, “I would avoid taking certain classes or avoid talking to people because I did not know how to. My anxiety would be so bad I would have panic attacks in school from presenting a project to the class. As I got older, my anxiety was worse and caused my depression. I couldn't play sports or make friends, I was miserable” (Ochoa, personal communication, 2021). Nicolle was relieved when her classes were moved to online; she felt it was easier for her to comprehend the material. She explained to me that online learning has not affected her mental health in a negative way. She states, “Yeah, it’s not the best situation but I do not hate it.” (Ochoa, personal communication, 2021).

Takeaway 3: Student mental health needs to be taken seriously.

One of Nicolle's biggest worries is that her progress with her anxiety will slowly deteriorate. She has had a long journey in improving her social anxiety and does not want COVID-19 to affect it. Because of this, Nicolle is worried about her peers who also suffer from mental disorders and their progress to improve his or her self. Overall, Nicolle wishes teachers would understand that school is not the students' only priority. “Students have jobs, friends, family, and outside activities that do not relate to education,” she explained (Ochoa, personal communication, 2021) Also, Nicolle believes that teachers need more training when it comes to students with mental health disorders. She believes with the right education and background, her teachers will be able to make online classes easier for struggling students.

Conclusion

In summary, this assignment has been really interesting; I was able to learn about how students with different mental health disorders are affected by online learning. Overall, this period is a learning experience for educators and their students. It is important that educators see and understand that students need more attention in online learning. The Covid-19 Pandemic had affected so many educators and students. With the knowledge of mental health, I believe that educators can make online learning better for all types of students.

Pop Quiz!

1.) What is a symptom of Depression?

A.) Feeling happy and healthy

B.) Loss of interest in activities usually enjoyed

C.) Wanting to make new friends

D.) Doing well in school

2.) Which is not an example of an Anxiety Disorder?

A.) Panic Disorder

B.) Phobias

C.) Social Anxiety Disorder

D.) Schizophrenia

Answers(:

1.) B. Loss of interest in activities usually enjoyed

2.) D. Schizophrenia

References

Learn about mental health - mental health - cdc. (2018, January 26). Retrieved March 23, 2021, from https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm#

Malla, A., Joober, R., & Garcia, A. (2015, May). "Mental illness is like any other medical illness": A critical examination of the statement and its impact on patient care and society. Retrieved March 23, 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4409431/

Mental health. (2001). Retrieved March 23, 2021, from https://www.dictionary.com/browse/mental-health?s=t

Ochoa, Personal Communication, 2021

Parekh, R. (2017, January). What are anxiety disorders? Retrieved March 24, 2021, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/anxiety-disorders/what-are-anxiety-disorders

Pruitt, Personal Communication, 2021

Smith Kathleen Smith, K. (2019, April 16). Anxiety vs depression - tips to help understand the difference. Retrieved March 23, 2021, from https://www.psycom.net/anxiety-depression-difference

Torres, F. (2020). What is depression? Retrieved March 23, 2021, from https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression

Page updated

Report abuse