Mental Health Awareness in Schools

The significance of mental health in school cannot be underestimated, as an increasing number of students are going through mental health troubles. If this is not treated, youngsters make wrong decisions that significantly impact their lives. They can be helped to a large extent with proper guidance and care. Awareness of mental health in schools is crucial, as educators are normally the first line of defence for their students. A student’s mental health has a large impact on their studies and degree of achievement. Educators realise that there is a lot that can be done to address mental health issues in students. Any teacher can appreciate how vital it is for mental health awareness to become an essential part of a school’s curriculum.

Mental health education isn’t any less essential than academic education. This blog will shed light on the importance of mental health training and the steps that schools and educators can take to handle such situations.

The Meaning of Mental Health Education

Mental health education is important to gain an understanding of the emotional, psychological and social well-being of a person. It imparts information that is relevant to the understanding of mental health problems. It is especially important for students to understand the concepts of mental health education. Many schools have started focusing on mental health education by making students aware of stress management, emotional regulation, symptoms of depression, etc.

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Benefits Of Mental Health Education

There isn’t any denying that mental health education at schools is vital, as it plays an important role in equipping students with the understanding to recognise the importance of mental fitness. Making it part of the school curriculum helps students to perform to their full potential not just in school but even later in their professional lives. Parents ought to make it their concern to enrol their kids in schools that place emphasis on mental health education and ensure the emotional and academic fitness of their students.

A mentally healthy child performs better in academics and scores a higher result. Mental health education has a positive impact on their academic performance and mental well-being.
Mental health education helps improve the social skills of students which is extremely important as they need to socialise with a range of people. Learning good social skills also helps them create a respectful and mutual connection with their peer group.
It has a great impact on a student’s decision-making skills. Decision-making skills are required in every aspect of life. Mental health education has an impact on boosting a student’s decision-making abilities by giving them relevant knowledge, clarity of mind, self-awareness and analytical thinking, etc. Decision-making skills play a vital role in everybody’s life and help them make wise decisions.
Students learn how to regulate and manage their emotions and express them in acceptable ways. It fosters a better understanding of their feelings and emotions. It also helps them to deal with negative and difficult emotions.
Mental health education plays a vital role in promoting self-awareness among students. This is helpful for them while tackling difficult situations.
Mental health education helps students to build and maintain healthy relationships with their peer group and others. Good mental health equips them to make connections with others easily.
Understanding mental health helps students reduce their stress levels effectively. It teaches them coping strategies and techniques that can make their lives less stressful.
Mental health education does a great job of boosting self-esteem and confidence of students. They are able to tackle challenges and difficult situations effectively.
Mental health education reduces depression and anxiety among students by imparting emotional regulation skills, self-awareness and creating a supportive environment for them.

Recognising the Signs in Students

Schools that prioritise mental health education ensure that their educators see the signs in their students that may indicate that they are undergoing some kind of mental trauma or turmoil. A student may suddenly change drastically in a short period of time. A child who was fairly regular with their homework may suddenly no longer do it. Their appearance may take a turn for the worse with dishevelled and unclean clothes. They may become distant and withdrawn and may not want to get into conversations with their peers or teachers.

Such behaviour should instantly ring a warning bell for educators who are sensitive to the mental health of their students. A depressed or suicidal child can receive instant psychiatric intervention and receive the required medication and therapy so that they do not suffer any major setbacks in their academics or mental health.

Also Read: Building Blocks for Healthy Self-Esteem in Kids

Understanding the Impact

It is estimated that one in five people lives with some sort of mental illness or disorder. The average age of early signs of mental illness is 14 years, but unfortunately most people don’t go for medical intervention until adulthood. It is also seen that 60 percent of students with mental illness don’t graduate school, leading to a jump in the dropout rate..

Mental health experts stress the fact that early psychiatric intervention would result in much higher rates of recovery for these students. Ideally, mental health education should be mandatory for all students to promote their healthy emotional, social and mental development. Mental health education would lead to the general well-being of students and their families, so there are a few things that all schools can do to achieve this goal.

Ensuring comprehensive support through every grade level.
Assessing mental health requirements of students through general and targeted interventions.
Providing access to mental health services and programmes to all students.
Gaining the support of higher authorities, such as those working with the Ministry of Education, to provide necessary services and support.
Building collaborative and constructive relationships between the school, students and their families.

It is essential to have mental health education as a mandatory aspect of all schools. Teachers can be trained so that they can promote awareness among students and also recognise the telltale signs that all may not be well with the mental health of their students. They can mentor their students on the significance of self-care and their responsibility to their mental fitness and well-being. Mental fitness is as essential as physical fitness and has to be given the same attention. Both teachers and students must be taught to understand the signs and symptoms of ever-growing mental health problems, so that any mental health crisis may be managed, including the risk of self-damage or suicide. Awareness of the connection between mental health and poor coping behaviours including substance abuse, must be created. It is as essential to comprehend how stigma and cultural attitudes towards mental health issues can have a very negative impact on the student and worsen their situation.

Considering that young adults spend most of their time at school, it makes complete sense to have mental health education as part of the curriculum. Students will not hesitate to reach out for the required help if they are empowered with knowledge about mental health. For more information and updates on the importance of mental health in education, you can touch base with the EuroSchool website[1] .