How to Fight Mental Health Stigma in Schools - Thrive Alliance Group

Are schools really talking too much about mental health? 

It’s well established that mental health is a basic need that must be addressed before students can learn and achieve academically. Yet a couple of researchers in the UK and Australia have been promoting their opinion that schools are “talking too much” about mental health. They say it’s causing students to over-identify with mental health diagnoses and that doing nothing is better than doing something about youth mental health. 

This is a dangerous and short-sighted notion, given the latest statistics about student mental health:

• Nearly 20% of teens had a major depressive episode in the past year
• 42% experienced sadness or hopelessness in the past year

As experts in education and youth mental health, we’re concerned that school boards will use this superficial and flawed “research” as an excuse to cut funds for mental health education and intervention. Cutting mental wellness support sends the wrong message, feeds mental health stigma in schools, and prevents students from getting the help they need. 

If you’re facing opposition like this in your district, use these talking points to push back and gain support for your mental health programs.

Over-identification with mental health issues is NOT the problem to focus on

Certainly there are students who learn about mental health issues and become convinced that their everyday worries and stress constitute an anxiety disorder. But is this a serious concern that warrants cutting mental health programs? Here’s why it’s not:

• Over-identification is easily solved. A trained counselor can identify a true mental health issue with a simple assessment. 
• Every struggling student can benefit from help. Some students may have problems brought on by a temporary concern rather than an ongoing mental illness. Yet those students are still suffering and can benefit from short-term counseling and/or learning coping mechanisms that can help them do better in school. 
• Lack of awareness leads to more serious outcomes. The bigger issue here, with much higher stakes, is the students with severe issues who lack access to information and help. If we refuse to address mental health in school, the outcomes will include higher rates of suicide, self-harm, violent behavior, substance abuse, poor academic achievement and delayed social-emotional development. Not to mention teacher burnout, which impacts the entire school community.

Mental health misinformation is everywhere

Even if schools don’t talk about mental health, students are still exposed to content about mental illness on social media and elsewhere on the internet. And the problem is, they will see and hear information that’s simplistic, misleading, or completely false. 

That certainly can fuel over-identification with common problems like anxiety and depression. And it leaves young people vulnerable to isolation and loneliness that increase their risk of developing more serious issues.

If we don’t talk about these issues at school, how will students learn the facts? Ignoring the subject at school increases the power of misinformation. Let’s give students evidence-based information and coping mechanisms they can use to feel better, and the confidence to speak up when they need help. 

If schools ignore mental health, how will students get help? Very often, families are unaware of their childrens’ emotional and behavioral issues. And if they are aware, they don’t know how to help or can’t afford counseling services. School staff are often in the best position to identify students struggling with mental health issues, and can refer them for in-district services. 

Awareness is a starting point

Mental health awareness, in isolation, won’t necessarily fix problems. But it opens the door to higher level interventions for students with debilitating issues that impair their ability to function and learn. Without awareness, we can’t identify those who need help.  

Awareness is the starting point for schools: 

• For school staff (and parents), we need to build awareness about the signs of mental health issues, how to address them in the classroom, and the right way to get help for those students who may benefit. 
• For students, we need to teach tools and coping strategies that can help them manage symptoms and prevent escalation. 
• Everyone should know how to get help (for themselves or others) in a crisis.

Broad-stroke interventions are not enough 

In our experience, educators have the right intentions and want to help students succeed. But they are not mental health experts. That’s why districts sometimes implement broad-stroke efforts that check boxes but fail to make an impact.

For example, taking 10 minutes a week to practice mindfulness is not enough to achieve measurable improvements in student mental health. 

Schools need a continuum of mental health interventions to improve outcomes, including:

• Training programs for staff and parents
• SEL and ERI programs that teach students a range of coping skills for emotional and behavioral issues
• Policy and procedure changes that improve school climate and culture and make it easier for students to talk about mental health concerns
• Family outreach and regular communication
• Group and individual student counseling 
• School refusal intervention

Fight mental health stigma in schools with support

Abandoning school mental health programs will cause long-term harm. 

I realize that budgets are tight in many districts. We may not be able to do everything at once, but that doesn’t mean we should do nothing to address youth mental health. 

Start with awareness: train your staff and educate parents.