A new research study has brought attention back to the issue of school stress and how it affects mental health. The research followed many students and found, by the time they were fifteen years old, there was a large connection between how much school stress they experienced at that age, and the likelihood they would suffer from anxiety or depression or other poor mental health conditions as adults. As many teens and their parents already know, school stress and mental health are closely linked, and academic performance is just part of the equation.
School stress manifests in young people in many different ways, including difficulty sleeping, irritability, racing thoughts before exams, or difficulty “switching off.” Adults in the young person’s life (including their parents and teachers) can often see super successful students who seem to be l well but who continue to feel very stressed about it. Researchers questioned the educational system to contemplate how it measures success between academic performance versus mental or emotional well-being.
The district school systems across America are beginning to take action in these areas by including mental health days in their calendars, decreasing the reliance on high-stakes assessments, and implementing social/emotional learning programs to the curriculum. Counselors concur with each other’s perspectives, stating that if adults in the school system take both the stress of attending school and student mental health seriously—by listening, validating feelings and providing other supportive means—students will open up quicker and learn better ways of coping with life.
This study underscores the reality that in order to successfully protect the mental health of adolescents at school during times of high stress, it must be done in a manner which enables all adolescents to thrive as they grow, even after graduating from high school, and so they may continue to feel strong and resilient throughout their lifetime.
Source: School Stress at Age 15 May Leave Long-Term Mental Health Scars – U.S. News & World Report
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