How does school affect adolescent’s mental health?

School is more than an educational institute for children. School doesn’t just teach maths and science, it builds social skills, instills very important life lessons through undesirable situations and makes for unforgettable experiences - good and bad. Arguably the most important bit of school apart from the studies is how students use their school-life to figure out who they are outside of their family relationships.

Students of all ages need social support to experience academic success, but adolescents are especially in need of direction at that point in their life where everything can be overwhelming from exam stress to peer pressure. The spotlight on them to do well is brighter and harsher. Balancing the increased workload and the various extra-curricular activities which can start to feel like a chore while simultaneously maintaining a steady social life doesn’t always leave hours and energy free to relax.  

Some of these school stresses, like exams, have become necessary evils in school. However when they start spiralling out of control and manifesting in things like ‘anxiety’ and ‘depression’ who is to blame, the school or the child or the parents? In the worst case scenarios these stresses can lead to children, adolescents in particular, to eating disorders and misuse of drugs. Depending on the severity of these problems they can even continue on to adult life. 

It doesn’t always need to be so drastic. In school where you are surrounded by a variety of people of the same age everyday can sometimes make you zoom into your own shortcomings. What you are not, what you don’t have, what you believe you never will be, and there, right across the hallway is someone who is what you want to be, has what you want and is going to be who you want to be. It’s times like this when you forget what you are, what you have and what you CAN be. And for someone else, you are that girl across the hallway. 

So in the end what happens, between school and mental health? Is it like practising sports for a long period of time where in the beginning there are injuries that last anywhere between a day to six months but in the end, your body is strengthened, your muscles are trained and you’re equipped with a new set of skills. With school is it that you suffer some sleepless nights because you don’t believe you can do the exams, and days, weeks, months of feeling sad because nothing is working and you can’t make it work - but hopefully you are supported by your friends and teachers to make you stronger.

In the end you are left with a stronger mind and equipped with a new set of life skills, which the school environment spent nurturing.