Focusing on the Mental Well-Being of Our Youth

 By: Dr. Moira Sweeting-Miller, Assistant Principal, Monarch High School, Broward County





 

 Today, I want to focus on the mental well-being of our youth. When you look at what takes place in schools, we focus on reading fluency and math fluency all to help the students grow up to be productive citizens. But what about mental health fluency? This is a much-needed part of the puzzle and probably the most important part.

Since COVID, we have seen a lot of focus on the social and emotional well-being of not only adults but students. Both adults and students experienced the same trauma during the pandemic but as adults we know when we need self-care and know what to do to take care of ourselves. Young adults do not have that awareness and struggle when things are not going well. They find it hard to pinpoint the cause of their angst and thus cannot help themselves through the emotions. This is where mental health fluency comes into play.

Mental health fluency involves teaching a child techniques to handle their emotions and provide them with resources to help them through their crisis. This is where Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) comes into play. According to CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning), SEL makes a difference. Research has shown that education programs that promote SEL have a positive impact on a wide range of outcomes, including academic performance, healthy relationships, mental wellness, and much more. Incorporating SEL strategies into the curriculum will give the students tools that they could use to help them when things are not going well.

Another resource is the mental health professional in the school setting. These individuals include school counselors, social workers, family counselors, and psychologists. Even though the resource is within the four walls of the building some students are still reluctant to go and get help. In a recent nationally representative survey by Springtide Research Institute, almost a third of students who considered visiting a school counselor, school-based therapist, or school psychologist about issues outside of career services did not feel confident to actually do so. Over half (53%) said they wouldn’t want their parents to know they were meeting with a school counselor or therapist, and 51% said they fear school staff might treat them differently or give them fewer opportunities at school.

As we move forward two things need to happen. We must continue utilizing SEL strategies in our schools. This should start in the early grades and continue through post-secondary opportunities. We must also remove the stigmatism that seeking help is a sign of weakness or will have repercussions. When both things happen only then will be begin to see improvement in the mental health fluency of our youth.

 

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