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Jillian Proctor

Scot Johnson

ENG 1201

23 March, 2021

Mental Health in Students

In the United States, around 3.2% of children ages 3-17 will be diagnosed with

depression. This may seem like a very small percentage but the study conducted by the

CDC was out of 1.9 million people meaning that almost 61,000 children are diagnosed

each year. The affects that school has on student’s mental health has been a spectacle

in recent years due to increased amount of suicide and the general trauma that the

younger generation has experienced. Many wonder what school is doing to impact such

odd behaviors and experiences. Is school a healthy place for students to develop and

how are they being impacted? School is negatively impacting student’s mental health

and behavior by increasing workload, not having proper counseling services for

students, and inhibiting behavioral problems within students that will have long lasting

affects on their lives.

School climate is something that has been sought out as a research topic for

quite some time now. As you are going through crucial developmental stages, you are a

member of the school community and it can have many effects on students. Being

exposed to social interactions of different types of people with vastly different

upbringings and opinions is clearly something that can shape you as a person. Wong

demonstrates this in his text by showing the different types of households and income

ranges and how these students were influenced. Within his study you see how a better
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education can increase grit and self-efficacy as well as lower depression and overall

stress (5).

“Compared to the control group, the intervention group reported more school

order (3.38 vs 3.23, p< 0.001), more teacher support for college (3.76 vs. 3.64, p<

0.001) and more structured school disciplinary style (3.15 vs. 3.09, p=0.02).” The

students who were selected to attend a high performing charter school were more

suited and had an increased efficient learning style in a more disciplined approach. The

authoritative behavior increased self-efficacy across all boards but an important player

was school safety. Students who felt safe at school also had increased self-efficacy.

The problem is that many will rarely feel this safety.

Schools across the world, specifically the United States, are faced with the fear

of going to school. School shootings and drugs are something that is introduced and

instilled into adolescents’ memories since they were in elementary school. I remember

as a small child, we were being taught how to punch the tail lights out from inside the

trunk of the car in the case we were kidnapped. Another example would be how we

have ALICE drills at least twice a year because we need an escape plan if a shooter

was to try to kill us. The fear students carry to go to a place of learning is something

they should not have to experience. It is no surprise that when children feel safe at

school they are able to better apply themselves and create a better future because

there are fewer outside distractions that weigh on their minds.

While scholars have been attuned to the dangers of getting an education, the fact

still stands that navigating through social structures such as cliques and class placings

is something many students’ value. School climate will always be a deciding factor in
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whether someone is able to maintain healthy relationships or if they will become more

saddened by increased work load with no support. Roles such as social cliques, gender,

age, and navigating romantic relationships all while working through assignments is a

part of the academic experience. In a study done to record stress levels on students in

urban India, academic stress was the most common stressor no matter age or gender.

In developing countries as well as ethnic households, academic standards are held

extremely high to ensure that children will have a good stable life and will not struggle

financially in future years. This all included, the study talks about parents disowning

children, beating, and degrading them for a low academic status. “The pressure was

often counterproductive, establishing a vicious cycle of guilt, low self-confidence, lack of

productivity and poor performance, even driving some students to contemplate suicide”

(Parikh et al).

As the reader, imagine working hard, pushing further every day to attain good

grades and trying to make parental figures proud and by struggling with a subject, you

are screamed at, beaten, and put down even further. Academic stress is something that

has been weighing down many students in recent years. As the push for college is more

encouraged, the higher the stakes become to be valedictorian or gain a full scholarship

to obtain your undergraduate degree. Academic burnout and fatigue are very common

among these striving students because while they push themselves to work hard, the

ability to take care of themselves can be quite low.

There are many ways of coping with the stressors of family issues, academic

stress, and an array of other issues students may face. Parikh states, “Across both

sites, younger adolescents and girls were more likely to seek advice and instrumental
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support from parents and teachers, particularly for academic difficulties and 'ragging'

(referring to junior students being harassed, humiliated or abused by senior students

[25]).” This type of communication is important because having different outlets may

relieve some of the stress being held in. A boy within the article spoke about the

severity of issues and mentioned that if there were issues with a teacher or ‘ragging’ as

mentioned earlier, they felt more comfortable speaking to a parent opposed to others.

The support of others can give a child the belonging that they have been looking for and

it is a crucial part of development as well.

This type of belonging can seriously impact a student’s behavior and future. A

research study conducted by Elizabeth Parr shows how the general belonging of

Australian students can directly correlate with future depressive symptoms. Throughout

the study you see that belonging directly affects mental health rather than mental status

controlling the effects of social life. Even in high risk depressive communities such as

individuals who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, these groups had a more positive

experience when having a backing they connected with. Types of suicidal ideations and

depressive symptoms are being studied and correlated to the school community as well

as other determining factors like home life. Later within the essay, they go on to speak

about how a feeling of 'perceived burdensomeness' was common with students

considering suicide. As they continued to assess if they could predict depressive

symptoms and measure a degree of depression within students, they realized that rates

were higher than in previous years. Even after reconducting the study to make sure

there were no overlapping results, school affected general belonging by 33% and is

associated with almost 27% of depressive symptoms.

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This is a graph that represents the research conducted correlating depressive

symptoms and general belonging.

Some opposing views may say that it is not the school’s job to help monitor

students belonging. When students are there, it is for learning purposes and to better

their education to move forward in life. While this is somewhat true, when you have an

outside factor such as belonging directly effecting the well being and focus of students,

it should become the school’s problem. The place where thousands of students attend

their early academic years is affecting their mental state and development. A student

should be able to integrate within a group of common youth and begin to form a
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community. This shows a healthy adaption to new territory and when an educator or

staff member can recognize a problem within this process, there is ample reason to

intervein. With this intervention, it can increase academic performance and help the

student and the teachers create a better experience.

While critical parts of school include belonging and GPA, there are other more

serious influences that school may have on development in younger children. A study

conducted in four states including Colorado, Ohio, South Carolina, and Florida wanted

to see how common certain disorders were for K-12 students. The results of this study

concluded that 1 in 6 children were at high risk for a mental disorder. The mental

disorders that were frequently found were those consisting on anxiety, ODD

(Oppositional Defiant Disorder), and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).

The most common at-risk students were non-Hispanic black, those who qualified for

free and reduced lunch, and it was more common in boys.

It is important to note that the results of this study had little discrimination. The

disorders ranged from age, race, town, and identity for students. While there were four

states, Ohio had the most prevalence in occurrence and showed variety of mental

disorders even within the small group that was tested. The reason why this discovery is

so important is because it focuses on key factors that will delay or inhibit a child’s ability

to learn. Some of the research was done through teacher-based knowledge of students

and the way they interact in class. By using someone who interacts with these students

on a daily basis, you can see why it is so important for schools to pay close attention to

the children that carry these disorders. ADHD is something you hear quite often but

most of its effects have almost been glamorized. In all seriousness, this disorder can
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cause serious struggle because the student cannot keep their mind straight even with

all of their will power.

The school system favors students who excel in subjects and prevail through

standardized testing but they lack the support for some underachieving scholars. School

was originally built to model the industrial era. Bells were sanctioned to mimic the

schedules of factory workers and kids were taught to stand in line to resemble to the

assembly line they were destined to work one day. Back then, this was an efficient

system but now it is outdated. Factory work is not as popular and many children who

lack concentration, much like those with ADHD or ODD, will not benefit from this type of

strict and unforgiving learning path.

In recent months, school have struggled to help students with their academics

because of the state of the world. The COVID-19 pandemic was a catastrophic event.

Thousands died, all schools went completely virtual, many lost jobs and some even

their homes. Living through the pandemic has its own mental effects but an academic

journal written about college students during the pandemic sheds light on their workload

and stressors among many in the world today. “The academic pressure easily comes

from taking and preparing for exams, grade level competition, and acquiring a large

amount of knowledge in a short period of time [7].” This also increased depression,

anxiety, and even more severe consequences such as a loss of appetite and

gastrointestinal problems (Yang et al).

College students were piled high with work and the increased levels of negative

stress continued to toll on their mental health. The article also brings many other

important points including the separation from school, fears that were customary for
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many, and even a present study. The separation was not only from professors and

lecture halls, but some therapists believed scholars may have experienced separation

anxiety. We as humans will become connected with others and then we are drawn to

groups of similar people who create a general support system. Once the pandemic

struck, there was no longer a close-knit area where friends could cry on one’s shoulder

because no one was allowed within six feet of one another. The fear of contagion was a

huge stressor for everyone not just students but as mentioned before, the academic

workload, separation anxiety, and now fear of getting sick all negatively impacts one’s

mental health. The present study that was conducted showed and explained how

academic workload, fears of contagion, and perceived stress all positively correlated

with stress and in turn these effects negatively impacted mental and physical health.

With standing evidence provided that concludes that school has many factors

that negatively impact one’s mental health, students must find ways to cope with these

problems. While in severe cases of depression, anxiety, and other disorders,

professional help is strongly advised. It helps being able to have peers and close friends

to turn towards but most are not qualified to give some suffering the correct advice or

help that one might need. Now aside from severe issues, the pandemic showed some

problems with maneuvering through our mental health. Although it has been a difficult

time for many, we can recognize that having coping mechanisms to deal with stress or

sadness is a key component.

The challenges of mental health can be daunting and schools’ effect can directly

impact the status of the psyche but schools may be able to intervene. School

counseling services and mental health advocacy have become a huge topic within the
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academic environment because of its importance. More teenagers and students are

being impacted by their many tasks within daily life and the biggest being school.

MentalHeath.gov published an article speaking on how educators might be able to

witness problems within students and how they can help. One of the most important

specifics to watch for are the warning signs that come along with poor mental health.

Having educators be aware and conscious of outbursts or depressive episodes could

help save a student’s life.

Another important aspect mentioned within the article is the fact that school

should promote social and emotional health. While schools capitalize on physical health

and exercise, they leave out the portion that controls the motivation to do so. Having

outlets such as counseling and proper therapy within schools can create a well-rounded

support system for the students and make it much easier to open up. By using these

techniques, this can give valuable approach to an open environment and increased

productivity within the classroom.

School for many across the globe is a huge time commitment within students

lives. We use our education to create a future, work through social constructs, and

navigate through important stages within our youth. These huge emotional shifts many

continue to go through while following through their academic requirements can create

serious lasting effects on mental health and even future perceptions of lifestyle. School

can negatively impact mental health by draining a student’s social group or make it

exceedingly difficult to find an area where they feel comfortable. Workload has been

increased with more lofty goals for assignments which can be draining and cause

burnout easily; it has even been shown to increase behavior disorders such as ADHD.
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Even with all of these troubles, counseling services for students struggling with mental

health lacks prevalence and schools are just now starting to move towards a more

progressive approach. By looking at school from a student’s perspective, the idea that

school can be detrimental is increasingly enticing. Educators and many others can help

a child create a better life and a healthier lifestyle by looking out for their mental health

and that will be the key to finding the success many want.
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Works Cited

Data and statistics on children's mental health. (2020, June 15).,

https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html, Accessed 23 March, 2021.

Wong, Mitchell D., “The Longitudinal Relationship of School Climate with Adolescent

Social and Emotional Health.” BMC Public Health, vol. 21, no. 1, Jan. 2021, pp 1-

8. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1186/s12889-021-10245-6. Accessed 3 March, 2021.

Parikh, Rachana, "'It is like a mind attack': stress and coping among urban school-going

adolescents in India." BMC Psychology, vol. 7, no. 1, 2019, p. NA. Gale In

Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A590704814/OVIC?

u=dayt30401&sid=OVIC&xid=d60c12ae. Accessed 4 March, 2021.

Parr, Elizabeth J.,"General Belonging is a Key Predictor of Adolescent Depressive

Symptoms and Partially Mediates School Belonging." School Mental Health, vol.

12, no. 3, 2020, pp. 626-637. OhioLINK Electronic Journal Center,

doi:10.1007/S12310-020-09371-0. Accessed 3 March, 2021.

Danielson, M.L., Bitsko, R.H., Holbrook, J.R. et al. “Community-Based Prevalence of

Externalizing and Internalizing Disorders among School-Aged Children and

Adolescents in Four Geographically Dispersed School Districts in the United

States.” Child Psychiatry Hum Dev (2020).

https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s10578-020-01027-z?

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Qgq5jMOY-
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830oPGU5UOPil0_vjxCu9D4EOPVGt5v1H35kEN5sBTGFb5YJJ8%3D.

Accessed 17 March, 2021.

“For Educators.” For Educators | MentalHealth.gov, 22 Mar. 2019,

www.mentalhealth.gov/talk/educators. Accessed 25 March, 2021.