During adolescence and young adulthood, mental health issues are often downplayed or written off as jokes. Students experiencing difficulty focusing on their work are regarded as typical teenagers, while those exhibiting signs of depression or a negative body image are dismissed as being too self-conscious.
A remarkable number of young people have been allowed to fall through the cracks of the American mental health system. It’s time for schools to take the initiative and make screening for mental health concerns a standard part of school culture.
The taboo of mental health issues amongst young people has led to a remarkable number of children and young adults without proper help.
A pair of studies led by the University of Oxford found a great deal of need for a mental-health safety net for young people. Per the researchers’ findings, approximately 75 percent of adults who access mental health treatment had a disorder when they were under age 18. When compared to the additional finding that only 25 percent of youth with mental health issues receive treatment, a massive gap in the current system becomes apparent.
According to one of the study authors, Dr. Mina Fazel, stigma and fear are barriers to youth receiving needed mental health care. “(Mental health) is the service that people seem to know least about, seem to fear accessing most and think they will be negatively viewed by their peers or their teachers or their families if they access those services,” she told Time.com. As is easily understandable, the self-doubt or loathing that might accompany many mental health issues is only exacerbated by our current system’s culture of denial.
Earlier this year, the Mental Health in Schools Act of 2015 was assigned to a congressional committee. Though the bill has stagnated, it still includes a variety of powerful solutions for the dearth in our schools’ current mental health systems. By including a special emphasis on trauma-conscious screening and treatment, this bill’s proposal could make a strong and positive effect on the lives of youth exposed to violence.
During their time as registered students, schools have a unique access to our youth that allows for effective screening. Students express a great deal of themselves at school, and the potential need for mental health screenings should not be excluded.
It is time for our school systems to step out of their clouded, 20th century understandings of mental health. Today’s students are an important investment in our future, and their mental health and wellness is critical to a better tomorrow.
sjdickma@indiana.edu
@Samuel_Dickman
