Mental Illness In Schools

In the course of proper identification, evaluation, and treatment, children and adolescents suffering with mental illness can conduct positive, normal lives. Nevertheless, the devastating majority of children with mental illnesses are unsuccessfully identified and the lack of treatment or support services have led to a subordinate worth of life and violence. The Mental Health Awareness and Improvement Act of 2013 (S. 689) is an inclusive bill proposed to address the extensive issue of mental health. By strongly considering the United States’ struggle against mental illness and school violence, as well as utilizing theoretical constructs to examine the Senate’s bill, a social worker can develop a more holistic perspective that can productively integrate practical insights reached from a variety of different points of view.

How would you feel if you broke your arm and you didn't have access to a doctor? It wouldn't be fun would it? Now pretend that broken arm is depression and the doctor is actually a psychologist. Having access to a doctor who treats mental illness is just as important as having access to a doctor who would treat a broken arm. Access to mental health care needs to increase to reduce the effects of untreated mental illness.

Mental illness is not getting the proper attention it needs. The United States should provide more funding to the mentally ill, for research, and medical purposes. Over fifteen million people are diagnosed with a mental illness every year. Many of them have difficulties to afford the treatment they need. Some do not even know that they have a mental illness because they never had a reason or even the finances to get checked. A mental illness can be detected at a young age. One with a mental disorder can suffer from depression and suicide, by receiving support from family and friends can help prevent this. By providing test at public schools could help detect an illness at a young age and give them the proper treatment needed to overcome their illness. Many who have a mental illness are unemployed, and have financial issues. By not receiving the proper treatment can result in harm to themselves or even others. The government is not giving the proper amount of funds for research and treatment. Some take advantage of the system and are the cause of the amount being so low. Mental illness is not getting the appropriate funding it needs to provide proper care.

Almost half of the population in the US are affected by mental health conditions every year. A diagnosable mental illness affects about 43 percent of the U.S. population at some point in their lives. 75 percent of youth are left with no or insufficient treatment. If mental illness is recognized early on, it can help citizens avoid large medical bills down the road and could help lessen the amount of homelessness, unemployment, suicides, shootings, bad decision making, etc.

Police, teachers, principals, state senators, and many others claim it’s not bullying that causes these mind numbing numbers of suicides and school shootings. They truly believe it is mental illness, depression, anger, and PTSD that causes the overwhelming number of suicides and shootings. What they fail to comprehend is that those are side effects as a result of being bullied.

Between 2013 and 2016 records show that there were at least 160 if not more shootings across only 38 states. Many people do not think they need help, but they actually do and when services are offered to those children in need, some parents are still reluctant to have their child take them. School districts in South Florida require children as young as kindergartners to fill out a short questionnaire to help evaluate their mental status while in other schools like in Minnesota student answer questions about drug use and depression. However, the number of students being screened for mental health problems has dropped significantly over the past few years. In Olympia, 21,000 students were screened for substance abuse and mental health screening, but that number dropped to about 7500 in 2012 due to lack of funding and parents not wanting their children screened. The main reason why parents don’t want their child evaluated is because they fear that their child will be over evaluated and put on medication that has harmful side effects. Other reasons also include societal factors, in some areas and culture being diagnosed with a mental health illness is considered to be a bad thing. Even in school some kids with these illnesses are considered “retarded” and called other very insulting names, being bullied in school only worsens these adolescents mental conditions even more and end up going into depression or even worse, they end up committing

“Nearly 5 million children in the U.S. have some type of mental illness” (Goldberg). It is agreeable that there are many young children that deal with mental illness every day. Schools should be concerned for every student’s well being. Moreover, mental health is a part of a person’s overall “well being.” Therefore, schools need to make the mental health of students a stronger focus and implement plans to keep students mentally well and educated. To help create a positive, mental health aware environment where students feel open to seek help, high school students should be educated on how to be mentally healthy, be given a safe place to seek help, and be encouraged to monitor and maintain their mental health. Mental illness and mental health care need to be a more eminent priority in our society, starting with high schools.

Do something, that is all it takes to save a child from others and themselves. Bullying has a negative impact on children's mental health that can continue into their adult life. Victims of bullying are at a higher chance of developing anxiety, depression, and panic disorders. This is only to name a few of the very serious mental health problems that are plaguing the minds of those who are to lead the world. Although being bullied in childhood affects adolescents’ mental health, there are many of different organizations that seek to help children stop the bullying before it leaves a permanent mental imprint on them.

We live in an age when many of us struggle through hardships. There should be more support in a school system for mental health, so students function better, to have better futures to stabilize their development and grow in life. First, to do this the school systems should better resources and allow more access to those options. Environments in schools should make the students attending it to feel safe and welcoming. Schools should take in account of people's disabilities and restrictions, before making assumptions about why they are having a hard time. Another factor to consider is that there should be more personal reactions towards the students. Finally, personal relationships in school with positive adults should increase.

This will help students understand what their peers are going through if one of them is suffering from some sort of mental illness. Furthermore, students will also know and come to a better understanding of themselves if they have a mental illness. That what they have the ability to talk to me privately if they are suffering from a mental illness to which they can articulate what they are feeling to me so I can help them out

When people are mentally ill, they suffer social stigma, have higher health costs, and are at an increased risk of becoming poor. Every one out of five Americans is diagnosed with a mental illness. That 20 percent of the population can negatively influence the normal stresses of life, working productively and fruitfully, and being able to make a contribution the community. When humankind as a whole cannot recognize that mental illness is a serious issue, there is more harm being done than good. Any kind of mental illness can be caused merely by society, but also can worsen due to humanity not understanding how injustice can make a serious impact. The mental health problems that people face can be limited to society learning about the injustice of these illnesses.

Students in the classroom come from a variety of backgrounds. Their lives are shaped by their families, their communities, but also their peers in school whom they will spend hours a day with throughout their educational career. The ability to form relationships with others, to create lasting friendships that grow and evolve with time, is detrimental to all children and their development. Lacking the ability to do so, whether it is directly because of their conditions or because of how other students perceive them, can dramatically harm them emotionally and mentally.

Some who are resistant to mental health screenings suggest that schools only require screenings for students who show external signs of suffering. The problem with this idea is that many students would receive treatment for their mental illness, but those who do not show symptoms would not. For example, if schools used academic performance as an indicator

With the relentless abuse from bullying, it can cause serious mental health problems in victims. Children can take so much mental and physical abuse

In another instance, integrating mental health aid and support for children at a young age could prompt the guidance of less stigmatization towards mental health illness, along with prompt awareness of mental health issues in schools. Schools need to inform the student body of the negative emotions that their peers could be experiencing around them, so their peers can be empathetic. In lower education, often a lot of bullying occurs; kid’s in one instance or another will often single out an individual for something that person has no control over. By informing them of characteristics of the disturbed peers, the youth will have a better understanding and compassion for what they seemed to judge previously. I have discriminated against and ridiculed for something that was out of my control, acne and depression. These words effected me greatly, and still have an impact on my life everyday when looking in the mirror. Juveniles who present signs of mental instability might not take the