So it all boils down to one thing... Why don't we talk about mental health as much in schools? I think that mental health is very important and should be discussed more in school. What even is mental health? Let's start off here: what is the problem and why is it a problem?  Many children may struggle with such things as depression or anxiety. “Yet schools typically lack the money and staff to help students cope with what experts describe as a mental health epidemic. One study found that nearly 80 percent of students failed to receive the mental health care they needed, and more than 50 percent of students ages 14 and older with emotional and behavioral disabilities drop out of school.” (SERRANO). Without the money and support needed, students may fail to get the help that they deserve. The Hechinger report says that  “school may be a huge risk of depression, anxiety, stress, etc there are so many more factors. That’s part of a national trend. The suicide rate for children and young adults, ages 10 to 24, rose by 56 percent from 2007 and 2017 and is now the second leading cause of death among teenagers, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Some 3,000 high school students across the U.S. attempt suicide every day.”(SERRANO). Within this age group, it runs from elementary school to college and beyond. Kids, teens, and adults get stressed out so much over school it can lead to depression and anxiety. It's not just the schoolwork in school  – it could just simply be teachers, people, having to wear a mask, things at home or in life and just having to be at school. I think we should find better ways to inform students about mental health and support them in more meaningful ways. 

In the same way, I've come to realize that anything to do with mental health is usually thrown away like a piece of trash on the floor or the side of a road. As a student, I feel as if we failed them. We failed anyone struggling with mental health. So many kids, teens, and adults go through things on a daily basis and we don't comprehend what they're going through because they don't want to open up or they don't have a trusted outlet. 

Furthermore, teachers and students need to make a better place for others to feel welcome and supported through everything during the school day. In order for people to feel like they're okay we need to do our part to educate students, teachers, and parents. By building a safe positive environment for students at school, we can promote social and emotional competency. Having better resilience can help a lot. As of now, Warwick School District has Aevidum which is a suicide prevention club. Speaking out as a member of this club our goal is to promote kindness and compassion amongst other students and peers. Warwick also has a Student Assistance Program which may help any kid struggling with mental health, substance abuse, forms of self-harm, schoolwork, and a lot more but I won't go far into details. Students have office staff and a variety of different counselors both female and male. Which is good for kids who only like certain people to talk to. That's not just all. The support we have is in place. It’s good for some but for others it's not enough or they feel like it's not the best for them. National Association of School Psychologists says “Schools are an ideal place to provide mental health services to children and youth. Virtually every community has a school and most children spend at least 6 hours a day there. Schools offer an ideal context for prevention, intervention, positive development, and regular communication between schools and families. School-employed professionals like school psychologists, school counselors, school social workers, and school nurses know the students, parents, and other staff, which contributes to the accessibility of services. In fact, research has shown that students are more likely to seek counseling when services are available in schools. In some cases, such as rural areas, schools provide the only mental health services in the community. ”(School-Based Mental Health Services)  With more mental health resources and education in the community we might be able to provide the help that they need.  I think that communities should provide more mental health resources so that people can get the help they need.  

To conclude Students and families may depend on counseling services and support provided by the school and what is needed can vary by grade, school, the situation you're in, and the district.  ...  “School counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers provide the vast majority of school-based services. They are specially trained in school system functioning and learning, as well as how students’ behavior and mental health impacts their ability to be successful in school. Areas of expertise include but are not limited to: education law, curriculum and instruction, classroom and behavior management, individual and group counseling, learning disabilities, school safety and crisis response, effective discipline, cultural competence, and consultation with educators, families, and community providers.”(“School-Based Mental Health Services: Improving Student Learning and Well-Being”).  Many districts have a system in place to help students struggling with mental health issues or anything that they need help with but In order for students to get the help and support that they need we need to start making changes around our school and we need to make that change fast. Schools could simply start by having achievable expectations for behavior and student learning. Teachers could possibly allow flexible deadlines for assignments if a student is having a hard time with it or in general. If a student would want to they could set up one on one meetings with a teacher they are comfortable with. We just need to find a way for every student to be deeply educated about mental health and the risks and warning signs from it. So that students and teachers know what to look out for. Most of the time a student doesn't want to reach out or ask for help because they’re scared but we have to change that. As a society in today's world, we have to start emphasizing that a lot of kids are going through things we don't know about. We have to start paying attention more and more to kids. Everyone should start checking up on kids more than usual.  

In conclusion, after conducting my research, I've come to realize that no matter how many times we talk about mental health, it still won't help one who’s struggling. Therefore I still believe that schools should talk about mental health more; not everyone is completely honest about how they feel. I strongly think if we knew the signs more people would be getting the help that they need. Students struggle every day and quite frankly no one notices until it's too late. I personally think that we should talk about it more because I say this because, as you all well know, acknowledgment is the first step. In order for us to do anything about it, we have to figure out the problem. The problem is that we need to start understanding as a society that life isn’t always great or even good that we can begin to appreciate and empathize with each other’s struggle. We need to do better. Why should Mental Health services cost money?

Works cited

Fazel, Mina et al. "Mental health interventions in schools 1: Mental health interventions in schools in high-income countries." The lancet. Psychiatry vol. 1,5 (2014): 377-387. doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(14)70312-8

Lansley, Stewart. "Income Inequality Has Eroded the Middle Class and the American Dream." The Wage Gap, edited by Noël Merino, Farmington Hills, MI, Greenhaven Press, 2014. Current Controversies. Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010529240/OVIC?u=liti45163&sid=OVIC&xid=03157ec8. Accessed 5 Feb. 2021. Originally published as "The Hourglass Society" in Www.lareviewofbooks.org, 28 May 2013.

SERRANO, ALFONSO. "Schools struggle to help students return to class after a mental health crisis." Hechinger Report, ALFONSO SERRANO, hechingerreport.org/schools-struggle-to-help-students-return-to-class-after-a-mental-health-crisis/. Accessed 11 Feb. 2021.

School-Based Mental Health Services: Improving Student Learning and Well-Being. Nasp, 2 Jan. 2020, www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/mental-health/school-psychology-and-mental-health/school-based-mental-health-services. Accessed 22 Feb. 2021.