Schhols mental effects We all know highschool can be a stressful place for most students and can be very overwhelming. As we start to grow, highschool really starts to take a mental toll on most of us. The pressure of wanting to succeed, get good grades and be the best you can be starts to be a bit too much for some. Mental health problems are very common in highschool and start to develop in adolescence.Addressing mental health needs in school is very important because 1 in 5 children have a diagnosable emotional, behavioral or mental health disorder and 1 in 10 young people have a mental health challenge that is severe enough to impair how they function at home, school or in their community.
Studies show that at least 800,000 children in the UK have been diagnosed with a mental health condition. However,75% of them don’t receive the help that they need. Many children in highschool have developed anxiety from being the school environment. Some are diagnosed, however some find it hard to come to terms with it and talk to someone. The early signs of anxiety in children are feelings of panic and danger, feeling a sense of powerlessness and feeling weak or heavy sweating. It’s vital that if you see someone you know or care about with these symptoms that you HAVE to tell someone. This could be the difference between them getting better or getting even worse.
Without telling anyone, the effects of their mental illness could be even worse. Some children have dropped out of school as the pressure to cope with being in a school environment is too much for them. Mental health problems may also lead to difficulties in performance. This is because a child’s main focus isn’t in succeeding at school but is coping with their illness and not receiving help from others. This can lead to the child being truant and not even attending school as the pressure can be too much for them and gets to a point where they have to leave as they just simply can’t do it anymore.
Although mental illness has many negative effects on a child, there are ways to feel less stressed. Many suggest that going to bed earlier can have a huge impact on a person. They’ll feel more energised and less sleepy. This can also contribute to a child’s participation in school which can be increased with a good night’s sleep as they will be more attentive in class and not feeling the need to be stressed as much. The person can also escape into another world. Movies, songs and audiobooks are a great way for someone to escape to after a strenuous day. Another tip people suggest is to self soothe yourself. This means that you stand in front of the mirror and say things to yourself that you would want to hear if someone was comforting you. These and many other ways are a great way to feel calmer and less stressed before or after a long day.
After interviewing students in year 10, many found that a school’s effect is stressful. One student said ”school makes me feel independent because I have to do everything alone and it’s just annoying”. Another student in year 10 said that “school puts me down and there’s so much added pressure of doing things I don’t want to do, things I’m not passionate about and I’m forced to adhere to. When asked how school has had a mental impact on her day-to-day life she responded with”there are things the school would rather me like I have to first do homework even if I have no free time I have to prioritise the schools work or waste more of my free time in school even though I know teachers don’t care about homework”.
Overall, mental is much more serious than people believe it to be and needs to be discussed in our society. It shouldn’t ever be treated as a taboo and is more than just “feeling stressed”. If you are someone who has a mental illness, the first thing to do is to get help. Help is VERY important. You should never be reluctant to help or feel as if you don’t need it. This can be a huge difference between feeling better or much worse. It doesn’t matter whether you do or don’t have a mental illness, you should always have a chat with someone once in awhile just to check up on things.
Ibaado Mohamed
