This article is 6 years old

Opinion

Declining Mental Health of Students Demands Attention

Illustration by Mia Turner

Staying up late to finish multiple projects or assignments is common in high school. If you participate in a school sport, production, or any other extracurricular activity with significant time commitments, completing all of your homework has probably been a stress-inducing task. While some say school is meant to be difficult as part of learning time management, the mental health of students should not be sacrificed for the sake of a societal norm.

Recent studies have shown that the mental health of students has declined in recent years. According to the New York Times, the amount of teens with anxiety has risen drastically, and one in three adolescents has anxiety. The constant pressure to succeed in school so that you can get into college and get a job is overwhelming. In recent years, the college admission process has become much more competitive, so students are pushed to participate in more extracurriculars and take more Advanced Placement classes.

Understandably, coursework warrants time outside of class. However, many teachers are strict when dealing with late work, sometimes not accepting the assignment altogether. Often teachers will say, “I know I’m not your only class, but…” and proceed to give a mountain of homework. It’s no wonder that with strict late work policies and immense amounts of homework, students are more stressed than ever.

Aside from the academics of high school being hard, it isn’t a walk in the park for everyone socially. It can be difficult to find your niche at a school and deal with relationships, friendships, sex, drugs and alcohol. All are present at Berkeley High School (BHS), and all can cause anxiety or stress.

High school is a breeding ground for anxiety and stress and BHS does not address the mental health of its students adequately. It’s easy to feel lost in a school the size of BHS, it can be hard to form personal connections with teachers. Talking about your stressors can do wonders, but if you don’t have anyone at school to open up to, then you might have nowhere to turn.

I know that we have the Health Center at BHS, and I’m extremely grateful for the services that they provide. However, I was unaware until recently that they provide counseling. Students don’t know if someone at school has their back, and are unable to form personal connections with their teachers or counselors because the workload is, at times, crushing. BHS has failed its students by not advertising the services offered to improve mental health.