Mental health in education encompasses the impact of mental health on educational outcomes, as well as the psychological effects of educational methods on students and teachers. Although mental health—including emotional, psychological, and social aspects—is often viewed as an adult issue, almost half of adolescents in the United States are affected by mental disorders, and about 20% of these are categorized as "severe." Mental health issues can be a major problem for students in terms of academic and social success in school.
Education systems around the world treat this topic differently, both directly through official policies and indirectly through cultural views on mental health and well-being. Some systems try to effectively identify mental health disorders and treat them using therapy, medication, or other tools of alleviation. Schools may try to promote mental health awareness and resources, or help struggling students with interventions, support groups, and therapies. Such policies can reduce the stigma behind asking for help, leading to more students reaching out for help. Teaching mental health literacy can also give students knowledge and skills around mental health. These resources can help reduce the negative impact on mental health. Schools can create mandatory classes based on mental health that can help them see signs of mental health disorders.
Prevalence of mental health issues in adolescents According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 46% of American adolescents aged 13–18 will suffer from some form of mental disorder. About 21% will suffer from a disorder that is categorized as "severe," meaning that the disorder impairs their daily functioning, but almost two-thirds of these adolescents will not receive formal mental health support. According to the World Health Organization, physical, emotional, and social problems such as poverty, abuse, or violence cause students to be vulnerable to mental health illnesses. An estimated one in seven (14.3%) of 10- to 19-year-olds experience mental health conditions that remain unrecognized and untreated. The most common types of disorders among adolescents as reported by the NIMH is anxiety disorders (including generalized anxiety disorder, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and others), with a lifetime prevalence of about 25% in youth aged 13–18 and 6% of those cases being categorized as severe. Next are mood disorders (major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and/or bipolar disorder), with a lifetime prevalence of 14% and 4.7% for severe cases in adolescents. A similarly common disorder is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is categorized as a childhood disorder but oftentimes carries through into adolescence and adulthood. The prevalence for ADHD in American adolescents is 9%, and 1.8% for severe cases. It is important to understand that ADHD is a serious issue in not only children but adults. When children have ADHD a number of mental illnesses can come from that which can affect their education and hold them back from succeeding.
According to Mental Health America, more than 10% of young people exhibit symptoms of depression strong enough to severely undermine their ability to function at school, at home, or whilst managing relationships.
A 2021 study conducted by NIMH managed to link 31.4% of suicide deaths to a mental health disorder, the most common ones being attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or depression. Suicide was the second leading cause of death among persons aged 10–29 years in the United States during 2011–2019. More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease combined. There are an average of over 3,470 attempts by students in grades 9–12.
According to APA, the percentage of students seeking college mental health counselling has been rising in recent years. With anxiety as the most common factor, depression as the second, stress as the third, family issues as the fourth, and academic performance and relationship problems as the fifth and sixth.
Common disorders effects on academics and school life Mental disorders can affect classroom learning, such as poor attendance, difficulties with academic performance, poor social integration, trouble adjusting to school, problems with behavior regulation, and attention and concentration issues, all of which is critical to the overall success of the student. Not only do mental health disorders affect the individual's life, but also the competitive job market. Students who are unable to perform in school will be less likely to be able to perform in the workforce. High school students who screen positive for psychosocial dysfunction report three times as many absent and tardy days as students who do not identify dysfunction. This leads to extremely high dropout rates and lower overall academic achievement. In the United States, only 40 percent of students with emotional, behavioral, and mental health disorders graduate from high school, compared to the national average of 76 percent. An analysis of 40,350 undergraduates from 70 institutions by Posselt and Lipson found that they had a 37% higher chance of developing depression and a 69% higher chance of developing anxiety if they perceived their classroom environments as highly competitive. The mental health crisis in the United States has also been linked to the rise in course rigor in American highschools due to how competitive college admissions have been in the past 30 years
Anxiety Students with anxiety disorders are statistically less likely to attend college than those without it. In addition, those with social phobias are twice as likely to fail a grade or not finish high school as compared to students without the condition. Anxiety disorders are typically more difficult to recognize than disruptive behavior disorders, such as ADHD, because the symptoms are internalized. Anxiety may manifest as recurring fears and worries about routine parts of everyday life, avoiding activities, school, or social interactions. Anxiety can also interfere with the ability to focus and learn.
There is a specific character that people with anxiety often exhibit. People with anxiety experience frequent worries and fears about everyday situations. Anxiety can also be identified as a sudden feeling of intense fear or terror that can reach a peak within minutes. These anxiety symptoms usually develop during childhood or teen years and may continue into adulthood. Some examples of symptoms include: feeling nervous, restless or tense, having a sense of impending danger, panic, or doom, having an increased heart rate, breathing rapidly, sweating, trembling, feeling weak or tired, trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry, having trouble sleeping, experiencing gastrointestinal problems, having difficulty controlling worry, or having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety.
There are multiple types of anxieties that each present with unique symptoms. The most common type of anxiety is Generalized Anxiety Disorder, which presents with persistent and excessive worry that interferes with daily activities, feeling on edge/fatigued, worries about everyday things, and can cause physical symptoms, such as restlessness. Panic disorders, characterized by recurrent panic attacks which consist of palpitations, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, and a fear of dying, can cause physical and psychological distress. People with phobias experience excessive and persistent fear of objects or situations that are generally not harmful. Fear is excessive, which patients are aware of. Examples of phobias can include public speaking, spiders, or flying. Social anxiety disorder is a condition where people have significant anxiety about being embarrassed, so they will avoid situations that could cause embarrassment. An example of a situation that would be avoided would be eating or drinking in public. Finally, separation anxiety disorder is characterized by excessive fear or anxiety about separation which can cause functioning problems. People may be worried about leaving others and may have attachment issues.
Treatments for anxiety can include medications, such as antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, sedatives (such as benzodiazepines), and beta blockers. These medications function to relieve short-term anxiety, but are not meant to be used as long-term solutions. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most efficient form of treatment and is used as a short-term treatment. This therapy focuses on teaching specific skills for coping in order to improve symptoms. This can include exposure therapy, which increases exposure to potential triggers and is used to treat phobias.
Depression Depression can cause students to have problems in class, from completing their work, to even attending class at all. In 2020, approximately 13% of youth aged 12 to 17 years old have had one major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year, with an overwhelming 70% left untreated. According to the National Center for Mental Health Checkups at Columbia University, "High depression scores have been associated with low academic achievement, high scholastic anxiety, increased school suspensions, and decreased ability or desire to complete homework, concentrate, and attend classes." Depression symptoms can make it challenging for students to keep up with course loads, or even find the energy to make it through the full school day.
Depression can be defined as a multi-problematic medical illness that negatively affects how one feels, thinks, and acts. The symptoms of depression can cause disturbances with interpersonal, social, and occupational functioning. This can later lead onto having varieties of emotional and physical problems. This can also decrease the ability to function mentally and physically. Some examples of depression symptoms are feeling sad, loss of interest, changes in appetite, trouble sleeping, loss of energy, increase in purposeless physical activity, feeling worthless, difficulty in thinking, concentrating, or making decisions, and thoughts of death or suicide. These symptoms must last two weeks and also represent a change in functioning in order for a diagnosis of depression.
Treatments for depression can include normothymic drugs, antidepressant drugs (which have significant side effects), solving unresolved conflicts, relaxation, light therapy, sleep deprivation therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, as well as cognitive behavioral therapy. Depression treatments need to be aimed at long-term treatment because depression can reoccur if not completely treated. Medications are better short-term treatments, while cognitive behavioral therapy is typically used as a more long-term treatment.
Adolescents and middle-aged single adults at risk for low self-esteem (Depression) can be predicted based on their level of education, fear of missing out, valuation of the modern materialistic value conception, life satisfaction, depression, and habitual social media distraction.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder