Organized Thoughts From A Disorganized Brain

Teaching About Mental Health Disorders in Schools

1 in 5 teenagers suffer from a mental health disorder.

Two of the most common

are

Anxiety and Depression.

Individuals are more likely

to have difficulties in school,

struggle in social situations,

and engage in substance abuse.

When negative emotions are not acknowledged or released,

they become stored, and influence improper behaviors in handling stressful situations. 

        So what can parents do?

Recognize that the problems that teens face today are different from those that teens faced generations ago. 

These problems may include,

a greater priority placed upon choosing a career path,

online bullying,

societal standards, 

and even

active shooter drills/situations. 

Parents should also see how normal teen behaviors interfere with their life. 

The more it appears to be interfering, the more parents should be worried.

They should reach out to their children and ask them how they feel and what they are thinking. 

Not doing so could cause them to isolate themselves even further. 

If they are not open to sharing, parents and children could have a collaborative journal in which children are free to ask questions and discuss how they are feeling, and parents are able to write back to them. 

Monitor your teen's screen-time and social media use.

Following their accounts may alert you to concerning content that they have been posting or sharing.

Ask questions if you notice abnormal behaviors, even if some of these questions are difficult to ask. 

         What can teachers do?

"Anxiety loves anything unfamiliar, or any situation that comes with any potential for embarrassment, failure, humiliation, or shame. These are the twists that can skittle even the strongest of us, and the classroom is ripe for all of them" mentions the heysigmund.com article "Anxiety at School - What Kids and Teens With Anxiety Need Teachers to Know" written by Karen Young (Young, n.d.). 

Teachers should recognize that 

the reason that kids and teens may not raise their hand in class isn't always for the reason teachers think. 

They may know the answer to the question or have something interesting to say but then. . . 

the thought of saying the incorrect thing or

looking silly

overcompensates, and the thought of participating in the conversation disappears. 

So how can the teacher help?

By allowing them to discuss the content with a smaller group first.

This allows them to find their voice, especially if they are working with people they feel comfortable with. 

If a child or teen with anxiety is called on unknowingly, this can cause their mind to go blank due to the unpredictability. 

According to the online article "Anxiety at School - What Kids and Teens With Anxiety Need Teachers to Know" on heysigmund.com written by Karen Young, "When anxiety hits, it shuts down the pre-frontal cortex - the thinking, analyzing, problem-solving part of the brain" (Young, n.d.).