Stress on Schools for Stronger Mental Health

Education and Awareness

By Matt Brownlow
April 3, 2017

In the American youth culture there seems to be a new trend, and it is definitely

not the most appealing. Mental health in adolescents has become an exponentially

worse issue in todays society where it has developed into somewhat of an epidemic.

The worst part is that as it grows in ubiquity, the age affected becomes younger and

younger. Time Magazine states that the prevalence of mental illness in adolescents

between the ages of 12-17 years old has increased 37% in the last decade

(Schrobsdorff). In respect to that increase, according to the National Alliance on

Mental Illness (NAMI), it has reached the point where Half of individuals living with

mental illness experience onset by the age of 14 ("Mental Health in Schools.").

The Age of Social Medias Influence

Why now? you might ask; why such an increase during the era of scientific

research and consciousness to being mindful? Well, first of all, the individuals we are

concentrating on are millennials, and what are millennials known most for? The age of

social media. Social media has become an entirely separate and unique form of

societal culture and its effects are directly correlated with the increase in mental

illnesses like depression, anxiety, body dysmorphia, and, of course, the instant

gratification complex. Current graduate student at University of Central Florida, Amelia

Strickland, found a particular interest in the relationship between social media and

mental illness in adolescents in America. In her thesis, Exploring the Effects of Social

Media Use on the Mental Health of Young Adults, she explores studies revealing

positive correlations between social media and depression, narcissism, and anxiety. For

example, A Croatian study found that time spent on Facebook by high school

students was positively correlated with depression. These findings were mirrored by

Rosen et al. , who found that participants who spent more time online and those

who performed more Facebook image management

evidenced more clinical symptoms of major

depression (Strickland).

Bring Psychology to the Students

Due to the increase in research and quality of data,

as well as a much more widespread awareness of just

how prevalent mental illness in American society

particularly, it is only right to respond with stronger

education to back it within American Society -

especially its youth. Education fosters awareness which, in turn, lessens the number of

those affected by mental illness at such detrimental levels. Because of the ability to

learn the cognitive and social psychology behind the attributes related to depression,

anxiety, etc. adolescents will be able to counteract what is neurologically occurring.

Supporting a reach for stronger quality of psychological education at a secondary

level is the National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula, which is a

document that attempts to create a foundation for psychology educators across the

American schooling systems. A problem that resides here is that the qualifications to
become a psychology educator are not excessive in nature at that allows for a gap in

how psychology is taught within high school; it could be in depth scientific support or it

could be misleading or even false misconceptions of the topic itself. Dr. Amy C.

Fineburg, assistant principal of Oak Mountain High School in Alabama, claims to the

American Psychology Association that it is imperative for students across the country

to be on the same page regarding the definitive impositions of psychology, which she

defines as, a scientific discipline that promotes evidence-based decision-making about

psychological issues, including mental health (Clay). Since 1999 when the first issue

of the document was written, there have been a few revisions made in hopes that it

will eliminate the education gap between psychology courses taught at the secondary

level, public and/or private institutions alike:

The revised document now opens with a set of overarching themes that

provide a foundation for psychology courses, such as the importance of

sociocultural diversity, psychologys role as a scientific discipline and

psychologys interest in both human and animal behavior. These things dont fit

neatly into a box; theyre just interwoven throughout psychology, Fineburg

says. The revised version also expands the number of content domains from five

to seven. One new domain focuses on sociocultural context, while the other

focuses on real-world applications of psychological science, such as health, the

treatment of psychological disorders and careers in and related to psychology.

The number of standard areas has also increased, from 15 to 20. The additions

include new standard areas on perspectives in psychological science, social

interactions and sociocultural diversity. (Clay)

With this being acknowledged, I believe it should be pushed to the next level. Once an

assurance has been placed on the foundations of high school psychology education, it

should develop into a required credit to graduate from high school. Psychology is

classified as general education and yet it is not strictly implemented before college -

and even some collegiate majors/minors do not require any form of psychology to get

a degree.

Alternative Additions to Psych-Aware Curriculum

Now this is not suggesting that it is the schools responsibility alone because mental

health services are not a high schools top priority - education is. That being said, there

is an expanded school mental health practice being utilized to make these services

more accessible to students because the school itself will not have to generate their

own service and support from the ground up. Instead, community entities like mental

health centers and health departments will team up with the school administration to

try and incorporate a service that is not only accessible but effective in educating

students on the importance of mental illness awareness (Molitor, Adriana, et al.). These

services could include mandates indicating required psychology courses that all

students must take for their own personal and academic benefit.

While required psychology courses at the secondary level would increase awareness

of mental health, there are a number of programs that a number of states have

already implemented within their high schools and middle schools. Take COPE

(Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment) for example: The COPE

Programs are based on a Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy-based skills-building approach

that includes reducing negative thoughts, increasing healthy behaviors, and improving

communications and problem-solving skills ("The Science Behind The COPE

Programs."). By not only bringing awareness to the prevalence of mental illness in

youth and putting programs like COPE into a schools agenda, students can actively

combat how their own mental health affects them.

Other Considerations

Another important concept to grasp when dealing with such a modern issue is

cultural competency. America is often referred to as the melting pot, where a

multitude of races and ethnicities inhabit the multicultural society of the United States.

This remains true in public and private schooling; students have very different and

individualized backgrounds

that must be respected

when dealing with an issue

such as mental illness

because not all youth

suffer the same

implications as others with

a different cultural

background. There is a

three part breakdown to

how provision of psychological services are acknowledged as culturally competent:

therapist, organization or agency, and community (DiVitale, Sandra, et al.). The

provisions focus on how each of these counterparts are actively practicing cultural

competency by remaining aware of how different backgrounds influence different

psychological processes and reactions. All three must be active individually as well as a

cohesive whole to ensure consistency.

Stopping This Illness-Incline

As an education system, the sole responsibility is education and care for students.

While children and adolescents learn about staying healthy physically with exercise,

diet, and hygiene, many education entities neglect the mental health aspect. By

implementing required psychology courses with the help of other community

organizations to bring awareness to the concept of mental health as well as the very

nature of the human psyche while pairing it with integrative programs that prepare

students to face mental illness in the era of the ever present internet, schooling alone

can combat the rise in early onset depression and anxiety.

 Works Cited

Clay, Rebecca A. "New Standards for High School Psychology." American Psychology

Association. APA, Jan. 2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2017.

DiVitale, Sandra, et al. "Culturally Competent Mental Health Care." Mental Health Care

Issues in America: An Encyclopedia, edited by Michael Shally-Jensen, vol. 1,

ABC-CLIO, 2013, pp. 158-166.

"Mental Health in Schools." NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI, n.d. Web.

31 Mar. 2017.

Molitor, Adriana, et al. "Developmental Psychology." 21st Century Psychology: A

Reference Handbook, edited by Stephen F. Davis and William Buskist, vol. 2, SAGE

Publications, 2008, pp. [1]-91. 21st Century Reference Series.

Schrobsdorff, Susanna. "Teen Depression on the Rise Says New Pediatrics Study."

Time. Time, 15 Nov. 2016. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.

Strickland, Amelia, "Exploring the Effects of Social Media Use on the Mental Health of

Young Adults" (2014). HIM 1990-2015. 1684.

"The Science Behind The COPE Programs." COPE. Cope2Thrive LLC, n.d. Web. 02 Apr.

2017.