Supporting student mental health has been a growing concern in recent years, with parents several times more likely to report it as worse now than it was a decade ago. However, the difficulties that go along with this issue for various groups of children do vary significantly.
A mental health screening instrument that is well established and broad based was used in the inequalities, which our research team at the University of Southern California’s Center for Applied Research in Education uncovered. The lowest scoring group was that of the preteen boys, who had the greatest prevalence of externalizing behaviors such as those defining the symptoms of attention deficit and conduct disorders. The next lowest were the teen girls, whose scores more commonly reflect internalizing behaviors – anxiety and depression.
These findings are consistent with increased trends in students’ mental health issues since before the pandemic and suggest that the pandemic-related disturbances, such as school closures, social isolation, and stressors in the family, most probably intensified those issues.
Moreover, high correlations were found between these “difficulties scores” and mental health difficulties, on the one hand, and school performance and attendance on the other. In particular, the highest and most alarming range of difficulties scores was disproportionately represented by those students with lower grades and poorer attendance.
For example, of students who were doing well in terms of attendance at the midpoint of the school year, less than 1 in 14 had high difficulties scores. Meanwhile, almost 1 in 4 students who were chronically absent by that point in the year had high difficulties scores.
Likewise, students who had some Cs were three to four times more likely to have increased difficulties scores than their classmates receiving all As and Bs—19 percent versus 6 percent respectively.
Given that high difficulties scores do often foreshadow specific diagnosis of mental health disorder—such as anxiety, mood, or conduct disorders—these findings provide new insights into a complex interplay between mental health and educational outcomes.
Why It Matters
Off the back of the pandemic, the mental health of children has been spiraling, with multiple data sources showing an increase in teen suicides, emergency room visits, and rates of anxiety and depression in school-age children. At the same time, students are struggling academically while rates of chronic absenteeism have hit record levels.
These trends may successfully be addressed in the schools through school-based mental health services, which include individual services like counseling or therapy and case management to help many students by providing services. Our research certainly indicates that nearly three-quarters of all parents whose children utilize school-provided services find them helpful and satisfactory.
But too many schools aren’t providing these supports—or, at best, parents simply don’t know about them. In our study, 59 percent of the time, respondents from high-income households reported that mental health resources were available in their children’s schools, compared to only 37 percent from low-income households. If provided, though, low-income students are more likely to be utilizing these supports. Compared to the lowest income group, in which over half of the respondents said that their child used mental health services when available, the highest income group had only 11%.
It is also the case that, were mental health services to be provided in those schools without them, a full 20 percent of parents with their children in those schools would indicate their readiness to use them. All these findings suggest that it is not enough that schools provide mental health services; they must reach the students who need them most.
What Remains Unclear
While our research establishes important links between children’s mental health and their outcome in the classroom, the nature of the relationship remains unclear. For example, are some students now staying home more because they are anxious and depressed or do other students who are missing school due to illness or other factors begin to become anxious over time?
The Way Forward
Research must start to shift its focus to the root causes of growing mental health issues and absenteeism if children are given the best chance of improved mental health and school achievement. Research should indeed explore whether there are differences in the relations between mental health and school outcomes across subgroups of students—for instance, varying by income or racial groups. Such findings may have the potential to enlighten schools on how to implement effective, targeted responses to challenges that present a problem to children’s well-being.
This article was originally published on theconversation. Read the original article.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What are some of the common mental health problems most students go through?
The most common mental health problems students have to grapple with are usually anxiety, depression, and behavioral disorders such as ADHD. These conditions are capable of largely influencing the performance of the student in class and on their general well-being.
How else can schools help students facing mental health challenges?
Below listed are a few ways schools are able to help such students: in-school mental health services, a supportive school environment, mental health education, collaboration with parents and community organizations.
What is the role of parents in their child’s mental health?
Parents can help a lot in mental health problems in their children by being there for them, developing healthy habits, and learning how to detect the first signs of mental disorder. Parents could also work together with schools to ensure the child gets appropriate support.
What are some barriers to mental health services access in schools?
These barriers are inclusive of socioeconomic disparities, stigma associated with mental health, and lack of awareness about the services available. All these barriers need to be addressed to ensure that every student is supported.
How can students support those friends who might be dealing with mental health issues?
This can be done by being a good listener, encouraging friends to find help, and building a positive and inclusive environment. Schools may also find integration with peer-support programs of particular value in the promotion of mental health in their settings.