Mental Health Education Should Be Taught in Schools
(Persuasive Speech)
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression is now the leading cause of
disabilities around the world and over 300 million people of all ages suffer from depression.
A lot of research has shown that students (mainly teenagers) are more likely to be
depressed than any group of people. This is due to work, exams, pressure to do well and so
on, which really take a huge toll on them. Therefore, if youth are not mentally or physically
well, then we would have nobody to positively impact our society and we all know the
future of the world lies in our hands.
So. The question is… how can we help prevent the virus of mental health?
Part of the answer is at school.
It shocks me that children are not being equipped with the tools for understanding mental
health. Approximately 20% of teens suffer from depression before they reach adulthood.
Also, 41% of students in general are depressed. As children start to grow up, they
experience a lot of problems like being excluded from activities, bullying, conflict and low
self-esteem. Therefore, it is key that children need to be well prepared to face these
challenges. So, teachers should join forces with mental health professionals and parents to
help the youth break the stigma and misconceptions of mental illness.
An article by Nancy Barile, M.A.Ed. Which was on the importance of mental health
awareness in schools. She goes on about how she started to realize major changes in one
her students over a period of time.
The student did not do homework, wore the same clothes she wore the day before and is
withdrawn when Barile tries to talk to her student. Due to Barile’s mental health training,
she was able to notice that her student was not in a good place, and she got the staff in
school to talk to her and it turned out the student had depression and was suicidal. She then
got immediate help from a psychiatrist as well as a therapist. After all this she graduated
from her class with all her friends.
This is what mental health education and training can do for someone, you are able to
notices certain changes in behavior and then you can act fast. Who knows what would have
happened if the student did not receive any attention, due to lack of mental health
awareness. The teacher has now saved a life because of her quick reactions and awareness
of behavior. Also, the student does not feel alone and knows that people would be there for
her. The student’s life is also not halted by depression as she graduated with the class.
We must create an environment for students to feel like they are in a safe space and are
able to recognize that they are having issue with mental health, and they would be able to
ask for help, instead of hiding away and distancing themselves from the people around
them. This would build the students’ self-esteem and create a drop in the bullying rates in
schools, as they would be able to stand up for themselves.
Nowadays, schools are starting to notice how important mental health education is and are
now trying to create an environment were there is support for people with mental health.
In July 2018, a school in New York became the first school in the U.S where mental health
education is a mandatory. This program also makes sure the well-being of staff and families
are met.
In a US News and World Report, some studies have shown “that teaching high school
students about mental health bettered their attitudes towards treatment, an increase in the
willingness to receive help from counselors and enhanced the students’ overall mental
health literacy.”
The change in attitudes against mental health must change and it begins with the younger
generation and the only way the stigmatization of mental illness can be eradicated is by
giving them the necessary education. One the school has been motivated by their
knowledge on mental health, then students would be able to open up about their problems
on mental health.
References
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https://discoverymood.com/blog/todays-teens-depressed-ever/
https://raisingchildren.net.au/pre-teens/mental-health-physical-health/stressanxiety-depression/stress-in-teens
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1126279/percentage-of-college-studentswith-depression-us/
https://stigmafreesociety.com/blog/the-importance-of-mental-health-educationin-schools/
https://thedoctorweighsin.com/mental-health-education-schools/
https://health.usnews.com/health-care/patient-advice/articles/2018-08-24/howdoes-teaching-mental-health-in-schools-benefit-students
https://www.wgu.edu/heyteach/article/importance-mental-health-awarenessschools1810.html