We need more efficient Mental Health services in our Schools!

 

 Community: Students who struggle with mental health.

Issue: The lack of affordable and efficient services provided.

Research Question: Why aren’t mental health services more accessible?

Thesis: We should implement more accessible mental health services in schools that are more cost efficient especially towards low-income communities because there is a lack of healthcare that are accessible to the patients.

 

 

 

Research proposal by:

Emmy Desire

 

The Main issue or Problem:

One of the most common issues amongst students in the United States is struggling with mental health. 1 in 3 college students struggle with mental health. According to WHO study, 35% of college students are struggling with mental health. Only 25% have received treatments for their mental health, and, according to National Alliance on Mental Illness, 64% of students drop out of college because of mental health reasons. Some colleges have begun to provide a limited amount of free counseling/therapy sessions for students in efforts to lower the rate of negative mental health impact that students face. It is important that this issue gets resolves because it is proven that mentally healthy children are more successful in school and life. School is also seen as an ideal place to provide mental health services for students. School is known to cause a great amount of stress for students that can go on for a long period of time causing students to develop mental health struggles like anxiety and depression. This problem matters because, if this issue is not solved, student’s performance in schools and other curriculars will only decline. Students should not have to deal with the consequences and carry this burden with them out of college all due to the lack of services and support that was provided. Our future generations will have to face a sea of mental struggles that they face due to the lack of support that they were given when in school.  

Why is the issue compelling to you?

The importance of providing mental health services for students became very important to me when I attended my freshman year of college. I had graduated a year early from highs school and finally had begun the start of my freshman year. It was all very intimidating especially for someone with social anxiety. I would attend my classes and leave right after. I never engaged with the students or teachers after class. After a while I had experienced so much anxiety from attending classes and stress from the great amount of work that I did not understand how to handle that it led to depression. This led to me staying home from class at least 3-4 times a school week. My grades had declined, and I lost interest in my extra curriculars. Soon, what had just been a stressful transition into the start of a new school turned into me losing control of all the priorities and responsibilities in my life. I had also witnessed my fellow friends go through mental struggles of their own because of school. I was lucky enough to be provided with mental health services in my school but my friend’s school experience caused her to have to take time off and she often expresses to me that she wishes she had access to mental health services that matched her needs. She was unable to afford them and none the mental health counselors at her college were Black like her which made her feel out of place and uncomfortable. I want to see more mental health support services in schools because it is very easy for a student to lose focus on their mental health and focus on school instead causing them to breakdown and end up doing poorly.

Previous research has shown that mental health support is a must for students. According to the article “Student Mental Health: An Important Element in Student Success” by ASCCC “…mental health services are sometimes seen as a luxury that campuses cannot afford. But student mental health services are not only needed to support the psychological well-being of students, but they are also an important part of academic success and retention.” Students who deal with levels of psychological distress causing them to decline in their schoolwork. 5% of college students prematurely end their education due to psychiatric disorders (Kessler, Foster, Saunders, and Sang, 1995).  Allowing students to receive assistance on maintaining their mental health will also prep them for life outside of school emotionally and time management wise.

Intended Audience:

The purpose of my research is to create more mental health awareness especially for students. I feel as though students carry a lot on their shoulders at an age of growth and receive a lack of support throughout the entire process. I want people to understand that a student’s mental health is the most vital part of the growth process and that it needs more attention, support, and care. My intended audience is both male and female groups at all age groups in the United states. It is important to get people to be included because the issue cannot be resolved without the help of our communities.

Advocacy Plan:

What I already know about this topic is that many schools do have access to counselors but some schools that do have access do not take the issue seriously or have bias on the students. Some schools also just do not receive the same amount of money or attention for these services to be provided.  My advocacy plan involves getting more people involved with their school communities to come together to tr and fix this issue. I would start petitions to get better services provided in school. Due to Covid-19, the petition would be shared online. Zoom community meetings could take place and the event details could be shared by its hosts through social media and emailing. I would also like to discuss implementing mental health days at schools so we can teach students that taking care of their mental health is a priority.

Annotated Bibliography:

Unknown Author. (2016) School-Based Mental Health Services: Improving Student Learning and Well-Being. Nasponline.org. Retrieved from: https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/mental-health/school-psychology-and-mental-health/school-based-mental-health-services#:~:text=Unfortunately%2C%20estimates%20of%20up%20to,services%20to%20children%20and%20youth.

This Article covers the benefits of providing mental health services to students. It goes over 9 points regarding the positive effects of students who experience positive mental health.

 

Unknown Author. Student Mental Health: An Important of Element of Student Success. Asccc.org. Retrieved from: https://www.asccc.org/sites/default/files/SMH%20-%20An%20Important%20Element%20of%20Student%20Success%20rev%20103114.pdf

This article breaks down how and why mental health impacts the rate of a student’s success in school and life. They provide many statistical reasonings.

Suicide Prevention resource center. Consequences of Student Mental Health Issues. Sprc.org. Retrieved from: https://www.sprc.org/colleges-universities/consequences

This article goes over the consequences that the school, students, campuses, and others will face if the community and schools do not tend to the mental support that college students need.

Branka Vuleta. (2020) 23 Alarming College Student Mental Health Statistics. Whattobecome.org. Retrieved from: https://whattobecome.com/blog/college-student-mental-health-statistics/#:~:text=Studies%20show%20that%20one%20in,will%20stay%20with%20students%20forever.

This article talks about the effect of the pressure of school that are put on college students along with the many facts as to how it affects the students.