Schools should not shy away from finding the mental state of students. This is because students spend more time in school than at home. As a result, parents may not always be there to evaluate their children’s mental health, treatment and care.
There are some students with psychological and psychiatric problems. These ill students should be cared for at all times. That’s why the mental health department should be made compulsory in every school. So that with easy access to mental health professionals, students living with mental illness can seek help before things get out of hand.
Teachers should not afford to ignore the mental health of students. A lot of students even have a mental illness without being aware. If psychiatric illnesses are detected early enough, they can be easily managed. This also translates to helping students cope with stress before it develops into more significant problems like depression and anxiety.
In addition, students should be able to turn to them when they feel overwhelmed by problems. Students need to keep up with their academic performance, even when they are experiencing emotional turmoil. The paragraphs below explain why every school needs a mental health specialist.
The Rise of Mental Health Needs
Many educational institutions have witnessed the high rise of the mental health crisis. Mental illness is a growing problem among young people today. There’s now an increase in the number of psychiatric cases happening even among children every academic year.
Most parents are not fully aware their kids may even be battling with mental problems. They see anxiety disorder just as another phase children go through. On the other hand, teachers who are ignorant of the child’s mental state may dismiss him or her as being lazy.
Then as time goes by, the kids may be unable to handle all the stress and anxiety. As a result, he becomes depressed as well as not be able to complete his school assignments. Unsurprisingly, the child’s academic performance would be affected negatively.
A school with limited mental health resources is not equipped to provide mentally ill students with the necessary care. Schools should not focus solely on academic achievement and. Many children are silent in trying to cope with the pressure that comes with academic expectations e.g. writing a professional paper. Little wonder, suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth nowadays.
Diagnosed Students don’t have access to Mental Health Services
Because students spend a longer time at school, many who have been diagnosed with mental illness don’t have access to mental health services. In addition to medication, students living with mental illness also require counseling and monitoring. Their behavior can be quite unpredictable and can be detrimental to themselves or their classmates.
Every learning institution should have a department set aside to care for mentally ill students. Anxiety and depression cripple many students to the extent that they cannot perform well academically. Another struggle many students go through is contemplating suicide.
The Students of Today’s Generation have to deal with a lot of Pressure
In today’s world, social media popularity among students is very high. Despite the fact, it has been said to be a potential cause for the rise in mental disorders among teenagers. Unlike in the past, when students have to concentrate on their educational pursuits, they now have social media pressure to deal with regularly.
Also, students deal with the idea of becoming an overnight success in their business endeavors. They hardly have people around to tell them success takes time. Hence they put themselves under unnecessary pressure or stress just to become the next Mark Zuckerberg.
Many Students are Suffering in Silence
Although people may not be ignorant of mental illness, there Still exist quite several students who suffer in silence. This is because a large number of parents do not consider checking their children for mental illness. So having a mental health specialist in a school is a big plus. They can help identify and treat cases of mental illnesses before it gets out of hand.
Also, affected students should be guided on how to manage their conditions. They should be taught how to identify and avoid triggers. A child who has mental disorder may find it challenging to cope with academic pursuit. Hence every school should institute depression screening for their students.
Conclusion
Today, more students are diagnosed with mental illness. Therefore schools should have departments dedicated to providing basic mental health services to students.
A mental health professional is better placed to help students manage their conditions. Parents and teachers must work hand in hand to ensure that they take care of the students.