By Emily Mosely
It is no surprise that the COVID-19 pandemic had major mental health implications on the public en masse. However, the implications for students, particularly those ages 12-21, have been detrimental. In fact, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control in Prevention, emergency visits for attempted suicide among adolescents jumped 31% after the start of the pandemic, and eight in 10 students faced issues at home that prevented them from being attentive at school. The question then remains: how will educational environments adapt to provide students the support they need to cope with mental health issues and catch up with the learning gap perpetuated by online schooling?
...emergency visits for attempted suicide among adolescents jumped 31% after the start of the pandemic, and eight in 10 students faced issues at home that prevented them from being attentive at school.
Research by Pew shows that the only way for administrators and educators to get students back on track academically is to prioritize removing mental health barriers (such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc.) before learning. Unfortunately, the main issue is a shortage of school psychologists. The National Association of School Psychologists recommends one mental health professional for every 500 students. Maine is the only state to meet that standard at the tertiary level, and the problem only gets worse with collegiate campuses where health professionals are not required. However, this problem isn’t going away anytime soon. Hiring more licensed psychologists to improve students' mental health requires more funding for education–an already strained resource pool for educators across the country.
Because the implementation of more mental health professionals in schools is not a feasible solution on the short-term scale due to the political climate and fiscal constraints, American education systems are scrambling to find more creative, accessible resources and observing international responses in hopes of getting ideas to formulate their own. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare decided to subsidize almost 21 million mental-health-related services so that students could seek help independently without having to go through a school facility. Germany, which is considered the leading mental health care provider in Europe, has seen little change in their students' well-being due to the fact that 86% of citizens have state-sponsored health insurance that entirely covers mental healthcare.
While an expansion of health insurance coverage would be incredibly beneficial for American students, it is unlikely that a state-sponsored healthcare system will emerge anytime soon–which is why the most innovative solution comes from Sweden. In Sweden, the government has created a division of its health department called the Young Health Programme, which is “focused on improving mental health and emotional well-being among young people through partnership with non-profit organizations.” There are three major departments:
● Mentor Sweden–a non-profit whose purpose is to prevent violence and substance use amongst adolescents as a result of mental health issues
● Volontärbyrån–a non-profit organization that connects businesses with private individuals that need help and provides training and expertise to the voluntary sector
● BRIS–a non-profit organization that works for the rights of young people by providing a link between youths, adults, and the community. The goal of BRIS is to provide support services such as helplines and improve living conditions for youth
By having this branch of its health department compile resources for young students and connecting them to existing philanthropies, Sweden’s approach prevents the federal government from having to spend more money on mental health resources.
Therefore, given the financial constraints of the United States, perhaps the best way to resolve the mental health crisis of students is not to spend more money on in-house resources, but make better use of existing ones. Should the U.S. National Institute of Health Implement a department specifically for the mental health of youth in the country and connect them with existing non-profits, it is likely the national crisis would be greatly reduced due to increased accessibility and awareness of the effects of COVID-19 on students’ mental health.
Emily Mosley is a senior from Waco, Texas majoring in International Affairs with a concentration in Security Policy. She is also a recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal and the George H.W. Point of Light Award for her political activism and philanthropy. Ms. Mosley enjoys writing about social justice topics, world news, and women’s studies. When she isn’t studying or writing, you can find her at a local coffee shop or visiting an art museum. Post graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in law or journalism.
Comments