September is suicide prevention month. The rates of mental health struggles and suicide for school-aged children have been accelerated over the last few years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. If you are a parent, school administrator, teacher, or anyone who works with young people regularly, then you are likely aware of the challenges that children are facing every day.
The Pandemic Impact
Mental health issues were already rising for students before 2020, but the increased social isolation and lack of in-person schooling elevated the numbers even higher. CNY Central conducted a deep dive into the crisis in several Syracuse area school districts in 2021 to discover more about the effects of the pandemic on students’ social/emotional health. What they found is that large portions of the student population were struggling with anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts, and at far higher rates than before the pandemic. At the height of the shutdown, one school district found that 17-20% of students had thought about self-harm.
The amount of pressure that is on children to succeed in school, engage in extra-curricular activities, maintain a social life, and even hold a job has had a marked effect on their mental health. Add to all of these challenges the fact that they are searching for identity and belonging during this tumultuous time and you have a recipe for severe social-emotional difficulties. The more we learn about the struggles they go through, the more obvious it becomes that a response is needed to support and care for our children, many of which are considered at-risk.
Schools Can Be the First Line of Defense
Children spend a large portion of their day at school. Their social lives often stem from the interactions they have in the classrooms and hallways of an educational institution, and much of their spare time is filled with extra-curricular activities based out of the school. This makes schools one of the most important factors in helping to support the social-emotional health of these children. Teachers and school administrators can act as the first line of defense against this crisis, which has not abated even with the return of in-person schooling.
The question then becomes this; how can school districts effectively invest in their students to improve social-emotional health, thereby setting children up for success? How can these institutions and their employees help reduce the rates of suicide among children?
What is the Right Approach to Student Health?
Many intervention programs that school districts have implemented to support student health are reactive. In other words, when a child has engaged in behavior that demonstrates their at-risk status, the school then responds. While this method is certainly needed to support children, a more holistic approach is required to have a bigger impact on the health of the entire student population.
Proactive SEL Programming
Proactive intervention programs are proven to have a more positive effect on the social-emotional health of students. Instead of waiting for an issue to happen, this approach builds support into the everyday rhythms of the classroom, allowing teachers to implement social-emotional learning, or SEL, that benefits the mental health of students. SEL is a concept that is meant to be adapted by school districts to teach children how to manage emotions, set positive goals, and develop healthy relationships. Research shows that students who experienced SEL in school had more positive outcomes in the future than their counterparts.
Instead of relying solely on reactionary intervention, school districts must adopt programs and curricula that provide SEL for students. However, teaching these skills is not enough by itself to help curb the mental health crisis. Effective screening methods are needed as well.
MTSN Can Assist with Implementation
Investing in the social-emotional health of your students is not as simple as an on/off switch. Adding intervention programs takes training and practice to fully implement in a way that supports the children.
Multi-Tiered Support Network is a collective of professionals who are dedicated to helping schools, parents, and clinicians adopt intervention practices that improve the social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes of children. Our team wants to ensure that your implementation of these programs is done effectively so that the mental health of children will be benefitted as much as possible. Since September is suicide prevention month, now is the time to contact us to learn more about what you can do to push back against the rising rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide in children.