Blog Post #5

My inquiry question this semester is “What is the impact of school on students’ mental health?”

In my previous posts, I have explored the different kinds of mental health disorders that school can cause in teens, as well as how schools contribute to students’ mental health, whether it be positive or negative. In this post, I plan to find out what schools can do to help improve students’ mental health.

When I researched this topic, multiple sites suggested different ideas and resources for helping students with their mental health.

For example, promoting active living (1) and encouraging play and sports (7) have proven to be important in creating and ensuring a positive school environment. (3) Teachers and students can also work with the school district (3) to access important resources (3). Using these resources, school staff can display relevant materials (1) and implement regular mental health checkins. (2)

Teachers and faculty members also need to have basic mental health training,(2) such as anxiety and depression training (6). Teachers need to protect their own mental health (7), so they are better equipped to recognize behaviour changes (4). To help ensure a positive school environment, (3) students can receive basic mental health training (2) which can help students to understand mental health needs. (5) By adding more mental health personnel in schools, (4) schools can support staff mental health (4) as well as educate parents and students. (5)

Online resources (6) can teach social-emotional wellness (6) and can create an anonymous source to listen to children’s concerns. (7) Another important solution can be to provide heathy eating options for students and teachers (1) as well as running lunchtime clubs for students. (5) All these solutions can greatly help to reduce the mental health stigma, as well as help students and teachers cope with the stress of school.