Mental health needs to be a school subject

Imagine a high school classroom of 20 teenagers. Two girls are chatting away in the front, a group of boys are cracking jokes, and a kid in a sweatshirt is nodding off in the corner. On the surface, everything seems as normal as a high school can be. 

But, underneath those fresh faces, nine of those teens are having persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. At least four of them have had a major depressive episode — all four very likely to have seriously considered attempting suicide and two having actually attempted it. That’s according to data from the CDC. 

Teens today are more stressed out than ever. Technology can make it hard to focus, social media makes everyone seem to be having perfect lives, and it can feel impossible to get into a good college. Add on the normal angst and awkwardness that comes with trying to figure yourself out, sprinkle in a global crisis or two, and it’s no wonder that our teens are struggling. 

Yet, even with the immense pressures teens are facing, schools are not doing much to teach teens how to handle these challenges. Right now, we just kind of expect them to figure it out. Or, we wait until things get really bad. 

But it doesn’t have to be that way. We don’t have to wait until our teens are in a crisis to help them. We have decades of knowledge and actionable strategies to share with all of our teens now to help them improve their mental health and navigate life’s challenges.

That’s why we need to teach mental health in schools. And no, we’re not just talking about a once-a-year, 45-minute class. We’re talking about a full blown subject on its own. 

Teaching mental health in school to teens would help everyone, not just teens who are depressed or anxious.

Life deals all of us challenges at different points in our lives. We don’t have to be in a crisis to benefit from new strategies or ideas to make life a little easier. By giving teens tools to manage difficult situations and difficult emotions, we prepare them for other knocks that may come down the road. 

For example, one unit could teach teens about cognitive behavioral techniques that help us take control of our thoughts. Everyone has unproductive thoughts sometimes. A mental health class could teach teens to recognize these thought patterns and reframe them into more helpful thoughts. 

We would improve equity by helping kids who are most vulnerable  

Teens from marginalized groups are the most likely to face mental health issues. However, they are also the least likely to receive mental health support. Their parents may be too overwhelmed themselves, might not have the economic resources to pay for additional support, or may simply hold stigmatized beliefs around the subject. 

Teaching mental health in schools democratizes knowledge and gives all young people crucial tools to help them deal with adversity. It levels the playing field for those who may not have had the parental support or resources to gain that knowledge in their early life.

We would eliminate stigma around mental health for the next generation

Stigma around mental health exists because of lack of understanding and misinformation. By giving our next generation the facts around mental health, we remove fear and judgment around that topic. 

Furthermore, school is where we learn what is socially acceptable and what is not. By modeling for kids that it’s okay to talk about their feelings and challenges, we make prioritizing mental health a norm. 

We would teach our teens to lean on and support each other 

Being a teenager can feel lonely because no one gets you. By encouraging conversations about mental health, we show teens that they are not alone. Not everything is as picture perfect as it is on Instagram. Through a class, we can facilitate community building and teach our teens how they can support each other in difficult times and get through high school together.

If the purpose of school is to prepare the young to live fulfilling lives, we should build mental health into our curriculums. Only then can we begin to reverse the mental health crisis and start to create a happier, more resilient generation.