Should Schools Take Mental Health Seriously?

Hey Everyone!

With the 'back to school' mode beginning for almost all of us here's a post based on it!
 

School can be rife with stress, anxiety, panic attacks and even burnout-but there's often no fixed policy for students who need to prioritize their well-being. 

Mental Health has often been one of the most neglected topics that a majority of schools ignore. There are plenty of educational institutions all over the world which do take this seriously, however not all.

The term "Mental Health" is itself stigmatized in a majority of places. People do not speak up about it and are scared to even open up about it in the fear of judgement. 

Where does the problem even begin?

We as students, spend almost most of our time either at home or at school. The age group of 12-18 is most likely to develop symptoms that may affect one's mental health during this age due to a number of reasons. It could be due to something at home or stress, tension, pressure, etc. from school. This is where it normally starts. It may not be visible at first but it develops over time.

In this post, my main aim or focus is to throw a little limelight from my point of view on how schools as a whole can help destigmatize and help people undergoing such conditions. 

    I had my very first anxiety attack in 6th grade in school and was completely unaware that I was having one. I was hyperventilating and had difficulty in breathing and what not. I felt like I was going to faint, tbh. My friends rushed me to a teacher where I got immediate help and my parents were called from where I went home. 

For over 4 years, I did not even realise that this was an attack. I always phrased it as a stress attack because it came to me during exam season. The reason for this was because I was unaware of what an Anxiety Attack was at that time. I didn't even know the proper definition of Anxiety then!

That's where the problem began with me. It was because I was unaware of what it was, was the reason why I didn't know how to deal with it. 

I'm in 10th grade now, realising this, and coming to know that this is a topic that should be spoken about openly so that people at least KNOW what it is. 

So them the question arises,

 How can schools help?

In my opinion, the first step a school must take is inform one about such a condition and create a safe space for one where an individual can talk about this openly. 

Having approachable counsellors and teachers are the first step in abolishing the stigma.

Workshops, Assemblies, etc. are secondary but equally important.  

Calling professionals, have activities, help students open up about their mental struggles so that they don't feel alone is a step in the right direction.

Having mental health days/ leaves is another thing I feel schools should try incorporating. I saw a Ted Talk on this and it felt like a necessity given that such cases have increased drastically over the past 10-15 years. The chances of it working are probable but the very step is what is important. If one does it, people will follow. People will talk and that's what counts. That people start talking about it openly.

Note: Talking should not be confused with gossiping here.

I took a small poll on my Instagram asking you about this and the responses I received were overwhelming.

Almost 90% of you guys have agreed with the fact that schools don't take this importantly enough.

Here are few of the top things that were suggested by you guys.

• Having professional therapists/ counsellors/ psychologists-who maintain a strict code of confidentiality (obviously) 
• Have workshops-not just the types that teach you on what a particular illness is but also those which help you incorporate them in real life and how to help people you know suffering from it.
• Giving flexible deadlines so that students don't have excess on their plate and are unable to perform well in any.
• Educating both students and teachers that there isn't just one problem-it's not just one mental illness like depression or something-there are innumerable number of problems one can have and their problems shouldn't be invalidated because it isn't "serious" enough.
• Last but not least, allowing students to be excused if they feel mentally unwell.

I know, a couple of them are a little farfetched and may not even work out some might say. A lot of you might disagree with the above saying you have to learn to be under "pressure" to learn and "you're growing up, you're bound to have it."

 To all those people who've gone through this, I ask you this question;

Do you want the youth to feel the same pressure as you did? Do you want them to have the same intrusive thoughts and breakdowns? Is it wrong to want the youth to have a better mental health so that they can perform better?

I don't mean to say that schools should become a therapeutic station all together-the purpose of going to school is to be educated. So why not educate and create a safe space for us in this aspect too so one can at least be informed about such situations?

The change may not take place overnight, but only if we come together and talk about it will it at least hope to become a compulsion in the future.

That was it for today's post! Please don't forget to drop your thoughts on whether you're for or against this topic in the comments below! Please share and subscribe for more and stay tuned for more every Friday!

Signing off,

Kuhu :)