By Siyona Bordia ‘25, Social Justice Writer (March 2022)

Mental health is defined as one’s emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It can be affected by various factors, such as one’s experiences and who they surround themselves with.  Mental health is equally important and must be nurtured and maintained just like our physical health. In fact, one in six U.S. youth from ages 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year. 50% of all lifetime mental illnesses begin by age fourteen, and 75% by age twenty-four, demonstrating that mental health illnesses emerge and impact us most in our early teenage years to early adulthood. Mental health problems can also lead to suicide, which is the 2nd leading cause of death among teenagers and those in mid-adulthood. Inadequate mental health is a severe dilemma that must be solved in order to improve everyone’s health, especially students. Thus, it is crucial to discern that schools are a large factor in students’ stress, and also play a major role in alleviating that stress. 

Schools and their services have a large impact on student mental health. 80% of U.S. students report feeling stressed due to schoolwork and classes in high school. Many students start to dread the idea of school because of the work that comes with it. Therefore, schools have a responsibility to their students to make sure they are feeling comfortable and safe in their environment. Furthermore, many schools have guidance counselors as well as college counselors for high-schoolers who are struggling, as college is a major source of stress and anxiety for upperclassmen. Counseling has been adopted by many schools, but there are numerous other techniques that schools could engage in. For example, regular check-ins with kids about their schoolwork and social health, mental health training for teachers, students, and parents, as well as information seminars and discussions can help the  general public better understand teenage mental health and improvement methods..

NA is working to support student mental health through a variety of resources. For example, the School Council provides the students with weekly mental health minutes at morning meetings, where they explain the importance of mental health and different methods of prioritizing mental health. Clubs such as Healthy Body, Healthy Mind and Public Health Group also often pair up to organize mental health discussions with the rest of the school community, with activities such as writing experiences with mental health down on flashcards and having small group talks. However, there is so much more to be done to promote both physical and mental health, which can be done specifically through awareness. Many people are unaware of the resources that are available around the school. Moreover, some students are still uneasy in regard to coming to discussions and sharing their experiences due to the stigma around mental health. Many kids feel even less comfortable going to teachers or counselors at the school for help. However, some students have made proposals to instigate change in students’ mental health. For example, the three assessment rule was a voice proposal that focused on making the school work manageable and decreasing the stress some students felt at NA. Even now, the student council has implemented ideas suggested by the student body, including a mental health survey asking students their level of comfort in sharing their mental health experiences, as well as giving advice about the current resources available at the school. Communities must work together to create a safe and judgment-free environment so that students are comfortable enough to talk about their struggles and stress. 

The most important thing to recognize about mental health is that it must be maintained and constantly nurtured. However, sometimes the person struggling with mental health may be unable to nurture themselves. That is where friends, family, and the community around that person should create a support system for that person. Just because no one else can heal or do inner work for another person does not mean that person should be forced to do it alone. With already increasing support from NA, each person’s support system will develop until they can always turn to someone when they need it most.