Introduction
Mental health is something that everyone has. Mental health is our mental well-being, our emotions, our thoughts and feelings, our ability to solve problems and overcome difficulties, our social connections, and our understanding of the world around us. Whereas mental illness is what affects our mental health. It affects the way people think, feel, behave, or interact with others. It's possible for someone to have poor mental health and no mental illness, just like it is possible to have good mental health and a diagnosis of a mental illness. There are over 200 mental illnesses that can affect people in different ways and different forms. With the right support group and tools we can help people struggling with their mental health and mental illness, just like we can help ourselves if we ever struggle.
Why Should Schools Use The 5 T's Process?
Still today there is so much stigma surrounding mental health. Using the 5 T’s process can bring more awareness in schools, workplaces, and at home. It will help individuals adknowledge their mental health and it will also help the public understand mental health needs. This process will help create a more positive environment, and it will lower the stigma that runs around mental health needs.
Talking About Mental Health
Talking about mental health is extremely important in schools because about 1 in 5 children have a diagnosable emotional, behavior, or mental health disorder. And about 1 in 10 children have mental health challenges that are dreadful enough to impair how they function at school, at home, or in the community. An estimate of 80% of children ages 6-17 do not receive the mental health care that they need. It can be hard for people to open up about their mental illness or poor mental health. So talking about it in schools can help people who are struggling; break down stereotypes, improve relationships, aid recovery and take the stigma out of something that affects every individual.
Training For Teachers And Staff
Today, people are suffering from mental health issues more than ever, which means that more teachers have students who are suffering from poor well-being and mental health issues in their classroom. However, no training is provided for mental health nor is there any required training. Teachers should be trained on how to identify, support and refer students who are suffering from mental health issues; they could become a strong support system for the students and can make sure students receive the help they need. Training would be beneficial for both staff and students, and would help create a school environment that may help students and staff feel more welcomed and understood.
Teaching About Mental Health
In many schools, students are not taught any information about their mental health unless the school makes a particular effort. This leads to poor awareness which leads to many problems in the school environment. Not learning about mental health can cause a misunderstanding and may result in a student not getting the help they need, simply because students do not realize that they may have a mental illness. The Centre for mental health found that on average, a young person can wait up to ten years before getting the help they need. Teaching about mental health can help students be aware of their wellbeing, educate themselves on what to do if their mental health gets bad, and could even help them open up more about their mental struggles with their peers.
Tools Provided For Students
There are many tools that can help students with mental health issues. In many schools, counselors will provide most of the tools that can help a student in and out of school.
Meditation and wellness apps: Wellness and meditation apps are great for students to learn healthy relaxation techniques. A lot of the apps are free, including Aura Mindfulness App, Calm, and Headspace. Using apps is great because the student can learn meditation and relaxation in their own time and on their own device.
Anonymous backchannel tools: A big role of supporting students is making sure they feel heard. An anonymous room chat is an excellent idea for students to talk about their mental health and a great way for students to ask for help.
Learn to look out for your wellbeing: There are many signs and symptoms that you can notice when your mental health is struggling. Things like disrupted sleep, withdrawing from social activities, feeling stressed everyday, not eating well, ect, are signs that your mental health needs your attention.
Value yourself: Treat yourself with respect and kindness, and try your best to avoid self-criticism.
There are many more tools that can help people with their mental health issues. It is important to keep in mind that it is your responsibility to acknowledge when your health is getting bad, and take steps to help yourself.
Taking Care Of Teachers
It is not a surprise to hear that great teachers can change their students' lives. As of 2021, 75% of teachers reported job related stress, 27% reported symptoms of depression, and nearly 25% said that they would likely leave their job by the end of the 2020-2021 school year. There are many things that we can do to take care of our teachers mental health:
Mental health days: Mental health days should be an option for everyone, unfortunately teachers feel like they need to plan ahead, which results in them not wanting to take the day off. Mental health is one of the most important things an individual needs to take care of. Do not be scared or nervous to take a day off, take care of yourself. Schools should support their staff so the idea of taking time off is not as stigmatized.
Counseling options: If you are feeling more overwhelmed and stressed than normal, you are not alone and you should consider talking to a professional. Start by exploring what's available for your health insurance and human resource department. If there are no options of in person counseling you can find, there are so many online options that will help as well.
Work life boundaries: Studies show that when “work intrudes after hours in the form of pings and buzzes from smartphone alerts, it can cause spikes of stress that lead to a host of adverse effects, including negative work rumination, poor affect and insomnia.” Work life boundaries are important for preserving mental health. Creating new boundaries many times can feel impossible, but it will help in the long run.
There are many other ways to take care of our teachers, these are just a couple ways. Teachers are teaching students who will run the world one day; it is important to take care of them and prioritize their mental health.
Works Cited:
“Problems at School: Association for Children's Mental Health.” ACMH, 10 Mar. 2019, http://www.acmh-mi.org/get-help/navigating/problems-at-school/#:~:text=Addressing%20mental%20health%20needs%20in,school%20or%20in%20the%20community.
Spencer, Bethany. “Why Teachers Need Mental Health and Wellbeing Training.” The Satchel Blog - from the Team behind Show My Homework, https://blog.teamsatchel.com/teachers-mental-health-and-wellbeing-training.
“Should Mental Health Be Taught in Schools?” Should Mental Health Be Taught in Schools? | Centre for Mental Health, https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/blogs/should-mental-health-be-taught-schools.
We Need to Do More for Teacher Mental Health This Year. https://www.weareteachers.com/teacher-mental-health/.
Commentaires