At press, Labor Day long weekend has concluded. While many modern curriculums have adjusted their schedules to run through the summer, this time of the year traditionally denotes “back to school” season for America. Kindbridge Behavioral Health is using this seasonal transition to revisit the state of mental health in high schools. We’re doing so not just for reference purposes, but to reiterate a call to action for early intervention for a number of mental and behavioral health threats.
The pressures high school students face can lead to and/or aggravate stress, anxiety, and depression. Further, a significant segment of this population is entering the arena of secondary academia with underlying mental and behavioral health disorders. For instance, the National Center for Health Statistics reports that more than 11% of high school students struggle with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Meanwhile, the International OCD Foundation indicates that about 20 teenagers per typical high school live with obsessive compulsive disorder. These, among other disorders, are also associated with stress, anxiety, and depression. Furthermore, they may contribute to or cooccur with additional issues such as eating disorders (affecting 2.7% as per the National Institute of Mental Health) and suicidality (affecting an alarming 20% of high school students). Keep in mind that youth face all of this minus the benefit of full frontal lobe development to manage their behaviors and decisions.
Let’s give our nation’s youth a positive start in life by recognizing the pressures they face and be there to support them accordingly.
Overview of Common Mental Health Pressures Faced by High School Students in America (and why early intervention is needed)
I. Academic Pressures on Mental Health in High Schools
According to a recent Student Mental Health Status Report, pressure to keep up with coursework negatively impacts 57% of surveyed students, confirming the link between academic stress and poor mental health.
Discussion about whether or not a fundamental change to the American school system needs to be made regarding academic grading is beyond the scope of what we do at Kindbridge. However, we can confidently state that parents and teachers must be more mindful regarding the signs of stress (view), anxiety disorders (view) and depression (view) as they may manifest with academic pressures. In understanding vulnerabilities, parents, educators, and high school administrators are called upon to ensure that students have immediate access to mental health support services. A single on-premises counselor is simply not enough to manage the needs of an entire student body.
II. Athletic Pressures on Mental Health in High Schools
Academic competition can threaten mental health enough on its own. When you layer athletic competition on the already tumultuous high school environment the concern is compounded.
Elite youth athletes not only have to contend with the pressures of competition related to their respective sports, they may also face the following:
- Pressure from dependent households
- Pressure from collegiate scouts and professional leagues
- Pressure from prospective sponsors
View more on the mental health challenges to elite young athletes and the other mental health issues athletes commonly struggle with. When all of this is factored into the equation, the call for greater access to support gets even louder.
III. Peer Pressures on Mental Health in High Schools
Peer pressure has been ingrained into the youth experience since the beginning of humanity. Social group pressures to consume harmful substances is something that parents and teachers have been fighting against for a dominant part of the last century, with support services not being adequate to manage the volume of demand. Fast forward to today, and American youth find themselves facing even deeper pressure to engage in activities that could lead to compulsive behavior. This new threat is gambling, which ramped up with the 2018 removal of the federal ban on sports betting and subsequent proliferation of online gaming. View more on gambling peer pressure and how specialized mental health intervention is needed. High school administrators are also encouraged to reference our guide for How to Build a Youth Gambling Awareness Program.
IV. Social Media Impact on High School Mental Health
There’s another threat that most of the current adult population (Gen X and earlier) did not have to contend with in high school – social media. Being a daily active user (DAU) on social media has inflated longstanding pressures regarding body image, social status, consumption of harmful substances, and participation in harmful activities.
A large proportion of the population has admitted to needing a break from social media, with 36% of high school students stating that they spend too much time on the platforms. However, given that social platforms are now a ubiquitous part of parent and peer communications and often tethered to school projects, even those who are not compulsive users may not be able cease use for extended periods. Understanding this, high school students must have access to mental health support services that are delivered on the digital pathways that they are accustomed to.
Considering everything above, it’s unfortunately safe to say that American high school students are embedded in an ongoing mental health crisis. A combination of family counseling services, one-on-one counseling, and educational institution provided programs are required to protect this vulnerable population. Whether a parent, educator, or administrator, progress towards this goal begins with a call or email to Kindbridge Behavioral Health. Let’s discuss options that work for your household or school.
Concerned Parents, Educators, and Administrators
CALL +1 (877) 426-4258
OR
Email [email protected]
