Our publication has chosen to highlight the issue of students with mental health problems in order to bring awareness and help students feel less alone in their struggles. By bringing awareness to the topic of mental health, students may feel more inclined to speak up about their struggles.
According to the CDC, more than forty of students struggle with mental health issues. Many aspects of a student’s high school career can challenge their mental health, from struggling friendships, toxic relationships, classwork, and family struggles. Mental health issues come in all shapes and sizes.
During the course of the school year, many students are likely to feel hopeless, depressed, or anxious, especially in the wintertime. If someone is struggling with mental health, the best thing to do for them is to listen. Refrain from offering advice or attempting to fix the person’s problem. Instead, offer a place the student can talk openly about those struggles.
Bringing awareness to mental health has been a goal at GHS for at least the past three years. Groups have organized several awareness weeks as well as suicide prevention walks. During the month of October, students in various clubs worked to raise awareness for those who struggle with mental health issues. GHS’s new DECA club organized Highlight Mental Health Week, a week full of activities that aim to improve student’s mental health. Different clubs provided different activities for students to improve their mental health such as, art therapy put on by counseling associates, “Bring us together” activity in the cafeteria put on by student council, “How food affects mental health” by world culture club, Aromatherapy put on by Peace Family Counseling, Yoga put on by Toni Breeden and the Service Club, and lastly “Highlight Mental Health Swag” but on by Bring Change to Mind and National Honors Society.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, resources are available through your guidance counselor as well as through the crisis intervention hotline at 988.
