School often plays a significant factor in student mental health.
“School definitely plays a role in mental health,” Sara Carannante, freshman, said. “I think that it puts a lot of pressure on students. School is nice because I get to see my friends, but other than that, everything else negatively impacts me at school and at home. I can be in a happy mood when I get to school, but if the students or teachers are rude, my mood completely shifts for the rest of the day.”
“School is a big contributor to problems with student mental health,” Katelyn Gatewood, freshman, said. “School is very physically and mentally draining for students. Sometimes I like school because it gives me a chance to see my friends, but sometimes teachers don’t help when you ask questions, and it makes school more exhausting and difficult. I started seeing my mental health negatively change when I got into the eighth grade. After school, I am left tired and drained for the rest of the day.”
Others agree.
“I think school has a big role in our mental health,” Arielle Norris, freshman, said. “School puts a lot of stress on students. For example, most students stress a lot over grades and how well they are fitting in with the people around them. In seventh grade, I started to become drained and depressed because of school. I love being able to see my friends, but it is hard to stay happy when I am putting so much pressure on myself.”
There may be other factors that could help with student mental health struggles.
“I think if students were more open to talking about their problems, maybe they would feel better,” Carannante said. “I also think that not having the feeling that you need to be perfect would lift a lot of weight off of some students’ shoulders.”
“If we had a study hall school period like some schools do, I feel like it may help students be more productive throughout the day, leading to less stress,” Gatewood said.
“I think that if we had certain times to relax and unwind, we may feel less stressed and have less pressure on us,” Norris said.
