Mental Illness In Schools

1874 Words4 Pages

Mental health is a common part of every ones’ daily lives. You are either around someone with some type of mental illness or hear about it on the news. But it all starts in schools, this is typically the first place you start hearing about mental illnesses. In some school’s mental illness is adaptable and easier for teachers to handle. But schools could be the cause of some students developing mental illnesses. Being in an environment where the students are toxic and the teachers have so much to handle can take a toll on anyone. Mental illness in schools is a challenging and complex topic and at least needs further research to occur.
Keywords: Mental Illness, Specialty Schools, Special Education, Adapted, Resources Can Schools Be Causing …show more content…

Programs that are outside of school may include community education programs aimed for the community as a whole, including students. There are also programs offered at facilities such as the YMCA and the YWCA. These locations students and others alike to join clubs outside of school such as chess, debate, and also sports teams like soccer and hockey. Again, these are not directly offered to address mental illness, but by engaging in these types of activities, a student or anyone could be helping themselves long-term on symptoms that contribute to a mental illness. In some schools there are also specialized education teachers that are there to help the students that come to school and have a serious type of learning disability. Those teachers are only primarily there for the kids who have already been diagnosed. These types of teachers may be available for others to consider if they feel they are struggling. According to Medical News & Perspectives “New legislation and a variety of programs center on training school staff to identify students with signs of mental health problems and to refer at-risk students for treatment.” (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/1682934 ). All of these programs outside of school are there to help those learn how to communicate as well as engage in a society’s …show more content…

One of the not-so-obvious areas would be bullying. Schools are supposed to be a safe place, but it can actually take a toll on some students. If someone is forced to repeatedly go to a place where they are treated unfairly or even badly, then that routine can certainly lead to mental and/or physical harm over time. Just think about it. If a student was subject to a routine and constant negative experience ranging from talking poorly about someone, looking at them in a condescending manner, spreading rumors, and even touching them inappropriately. Day-after-day, month-after month, semester-after-semester, year-after. One could imagine at some point, the student simply would grow tired of being in that environment. An environment that was supposed to be their safe-haven. An environment where a student was supposed to discover themselves while experiencing all that was good. An environment that was supposedly resourced in a way to support the enrichment of each student as well as the total student body. Now that student finds themselves questioning the experience and more importantly, questioning themselves. Thus, the onset of mental illness. Mental illness being previously defined as “A wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior.” (mayo clinic.). Of course, there are alternatives to not subjecting the student consistently to this environment. One alternative is to

Open Document