It’s been in the news a lot lately—depression and anxiety among children and teens are on the rise and the pressures created through social media target the younger generation not just daily, but hourly. Many mental health conditions surface in the teenage years; half of individuals living with mental illness experience onset by the age of 14. This number jumps to 75% by the age of 24. One in five young people live with a mental health condition, but less than half of them receive the necessary assistance. Undiagnosed, unseen, untreated or inadequately treated, mental health conditions can not only affect a student’s ability to learn, grow and develop in their teen years, but can have lifelong, detrimental effects.
We all know that the body and the mind are intimately connected. We emphasize the importance of sleep, healthy eating and exercise for people with mental illnesses; they’re good for everyone! However, there’s a great deal more to mental health than physical fitness and a sense of well-being. (Oh, if it were only that easy!) While social attitudes are slowly changing, the rising numbers of mental health disorders make it clear that it’s not enough. We need to do more. We need to educate and empower our children by integrating mental health education into school curriculums.
Information Overload
For young people, life is more confusing now than it was 50 years ago. Freedom of choice, combined with increasing competitiveness for jobs, more pressure than ever before to decide on a career (very early in life) and on top of that an infinite number of information sources and stimuli that could overload even the most mature mind, let alone one still learning to process all the information swirling around in the world. (Sigh!) Shouldn’t we be arming our children with the tools they need to deal with this barrage of information and the varying influences that compete so fiercely for their attention?
Schools are where young people spend a significant part of their day. It’s where friendships and relationships are formed. It’s where teenagers find their self-worth—in popularity, in P.E., in academic achievements. It’s precisely where mental health issues can become obvious—and can escalate. There is a growing emphasis on schools providing mental health support. But in the majority of cases, this comes in the form of support only for children who specifically ask for it.
Body and Mind
Most schools place emphasis on the physical and feel-good side of the child, paying a lot of attention to external solutions such as having a pet, going for a walk in fresh air, giving yourself the treat of a long bath, etc. There is, however, little or no dialogue on the mental and emotional side of their health. It befuddles me how there is so much stigma attached to conversations about feelings, mental health and mental illness; I find it incredibly frustrating. Things would be so much easier if we found healthier ways to talk about what goes on in our minds. I have been doing motivational workshops and conferences in public schools in Catalunya for over five years now and topics I cover have included: social media addiction; bullying; discussing whether things always really happen for a reason; and, this year, the principles of self-compassion.
I feel pleased when, after my talks, both students and teachers tell me how much they benefit, how much they’ve learned. I am sometimes lucky and receive private messages via social media from teenagers themselves who ask for guidance in areas of self-esteem, building confidence and even how to go about practicing mindfulness. I wish I could become a permanent component of their curriculum, but this requires schools to make significant changes.
Let’s Talk
We need to spend time talking about the mind and emotions, to have a dialogue about what happens with kids when something goes wrong with them. We should stress the importance of seeking help when they are confused, overwhelmed, and despairing. Society at large is still uncomfortable talking about mental illness and twice as uncomfortable talking about mental illness in children. This is largely because many of us are still harbor the illusion that childhood is a uniformly happy time. In fact, many kids suffer from serious mental illnesses. If the statistics give any indication, 20% to 25% of them will experience a mental health problem at some time in their lives. We should not only talk about this, but do something about it. Something more than emphasizing good physical health and getting celebrities to do 30-second spots about how they too experience depression.
Mental health is something that all of us will have to deal with at some point in our lives, whether in terms of getting help for ourselves, helping someone else, or dealing with stressful moments and obstacles. Schools need to be benchmarking mental health as equally important and crucial as physical health—and that starts with making mental health education a mandatory part of the curriculum.
Without being taught about the reality of mental illness—how dark, scary, and alone it feels—kids will fail to understand the impact of their actions. Behavior that includes bullying, spreading rumors or trolling on social media is more than “just being kids”—it can actually have a deep and lasting effect on others. Kids won’t understand that a lack of empathy, kindness, and care can have life or death consequences if we don’t teach them. The only way kids will learn to take mental health seriously is to educate them. I hope parents are doing so inside the home, and I believe it’s time to start outside the home, too.
Goldie Uttamchandani is a trained professional coach who, apart from specializing in life and professional coaching with adults, also focuses on youth coaching. She has been working with young adults and teenagers for over five years now in the public school arena of Catalunya.