Protecting Children's Mental Health and Its Effects in School

With the recent passing of the 20th anniversary Columbine High School tragedy, the emotional well-being of our children and how that impacts not only their academic success but also school safety should be top-of-mind with parents and educators.

A recent study by Pew Research Center found that 70% of teenagers identified anxiety and depression as major issues negatively impacting their engagement in the classroom. When it comes to the pressures teens face, academics tops the list: 61% of teens say they feel a lot of pressure to get good grades. By comparison, about three-in-ten say they feel a lot of pressure to look good (29%) and to fit in socially (28%), while roughly one-in-five feel similarly pressured to be involved in extracurricular activities and to be good at sports (21% each).

Research from the University of Michigan tracked the prevalence of three of the most common and treatable mental health disorders — depression, anxiety, and ADHD — among young people at both the national and state level, according to an article in Michigan Radio.org.

The research revealed 17.6 percent of children and teens had been diagnosed with one of the three disorders. Around 100,000 kids and teens in the state, around 40 percent were not getting mental health treatment.

“When it comes to mental health the biggest thing parents should do is just listen intently and make sure their understanding what their child is saying,” said Heather Ballien, superintendent of Great Lakes Cyber Academy. “The biggest thing is make sure you ask open-ended questions and by that I mean don’t ask a question that the child can simply answer with yes or no or I don’t know. Ask things like what you enjoy the most about the day and listen to their answer because it will tell you a lot.”

“Students that don’t feel safe or students that don’t enjoy being around other students because perhaps their not accepted tend to be isolated and they tend to withdraw from everything that is going on and they don’t form relationships with their teachers or peers, “continued Ballien. “It makes it very difficult to pay attention in class and makes it very difficult to understand or enjoy or even pay attention to what is going on so it really becomes a very big barrier and we need to pay attention to that.”

For information, support, resources, referral and advocacy for children and youth with mental, emotional, or behavioral disorders and their families in Michigan please visit Association for Children’s Mental Health

Connections Academy is a tuition-free online public school for grades K–12. In this virtual classroom, students can spend the school year reaching their highest potential through a uniquely individualized learning program. Most Connections Academy–supported schools are accredited by one of the six regional accrediting agencies. Please visit connectionsacademy.com

Courtesy: Connections Academy