Do you feel that your school deals with mental health appropriately?

By DeAnthony Carter

27% of Indianapolis students feel that mental health is properly addressed in their school and 46% feel that some aspects of mental health are properly addressed. The remaining 27% of students feel that mental health is not addressed correctly at their school. This means the majority of students believe that mental health is not addressed appropriately.

My immediate reaction after seeing these numbers was disappointment. While mental health is a broad topic, all students should be aware of their mental health status and the effects it can have on their learning. Schools and families also should take the time to properly educate students about how to maintain and handle their mental health. The results of this survey show there is still a lot of work to be done in order to appropriately deal with students’ mental health challenges.

Schools can take the initiative on this issue by incorporating a week into their learning cycle to introduce and discuss mental health. Mental health is just as important as a fire or tornado drill. Schools should also take the extra step to bring in school counselors and run seminars with teachers so they can develop long-lasting and meaningful relationships with students. The more comfortable a student is with a teacher, the more invested the student will be in their education, and the better the learning experience will be for both parties.

Families should also do their part by sitting with their students and establishing a foundation of trust, support, and honesty. This foundation allows students to feel comfortable with coming to the parents with any kind of problems. Families can make sure students know that getting help with their mental health doesn’t make them any less cool, it just means they care about themselves and their education.