[ad_1]
History at a glance
- Survey results from VeryWellMind suggest that the majority of parents and primary carers at pre-teen and adolescent support schools allow students to take mental health days.
- However, only 12 states have laws allowing the practice, even though parents say taking the day off has improved their child’s mood.
- A number of barriers prevent the widespread adoption of mental health days for youth and schools seeking to address student mental health.
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought youth mental health to the forefront of the national conversation, as stigma and online schooling worsen. A growing crisis. The situation became very dire, US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued Advice He called for a “rapid and coordinated response” to the crisis in December 2021.
As a result of the overwhelming data and calls for change, several states have taken it upon themselves to integrate mental health days into school policy—a major step since schools have historically not considered mental health as a valid reason for missing a class.
According to his analysis Very safe mindPublic schools in the following states allow students to take mental health days: Washington, California, Illinois, Maine, Virginia, Colorado, Oregon, Connecticut, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Kentucky.
Several bills have been proposed to introduce the practice, and if they pass, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania will join the group above.
In all, 36 states have no current legislation regarding allowing student mental health days.
“There is still much work to be done, but many changes have been made compared to just a few years ago to advance the mission of de-stigmatizing mental health and ultimately support struggling children and families,” the report states. Authors wrote.
America is changing faster than ever! Add to your changing America Facebook Or Twitter Food to stay on the news.
On the national front, the Biden administration He announced several actions In July, he committed to improving youth mental health, including spending nearly $300 million to expand access to services in schools and urging governors to spend more resources on school-based mental health initiatives.
Additional survey results from Very safe mind They show that 60 percent of parents say that their child’s mental health has been affected by the epidemic, while school is the most commonly mentioned worry for teenagers and young people. The findings are based on more than 1,000 American adults who were the primary caregivers of a child between the ages of 8 and 12 (two) and 13 and 17 (teen). The survey was conducted in June 2022 and the average respondent age was 40.
Of those surveyed, 56 percent said they would allow their child to take a mental health day and 32 percent would consider it. Researchers added that 75 percent of caregivers said the practice “can be an effective tool to support children’s mental health,” and 74 percent of schools supported integrating the practice into policy.
Additionally, 77 percent of those who allowed their child to take a mental health day said they believed it had a positive impact.
Despite the popularity of student mental health days, barriers include a lack of awareness among some parents and limited availability in states.
Parents may also be hesitant because of the stigma surrounding mental health, but economic differences may play a role in acceptance.
Although more than half of households with incomes above $100,000 say their district offers a mental health day, that number drops to 20 percent among households with incomes below $100,000.
“Low-income households are 3 times less likely to receive mental health days,” the authors wrote.
In states with the policies, 1 in 5 parents can’t afford to have their children take mental health days, explained Grace Bastidas, executive producer of the issue. Parents. “They can’t miss work or pay for unexpected child care, so it’s a question of right for many families to take a day off and reset and recharge,” Bastidas said. He told researchers..
Some reports also indicated that the politicization of school policies has increased Parents are concerned School mental health support is wearing a mask. Indoctrination of students Liberal political philosophies of race, gender, and sexuality.
Others worry schools lack the resources or expertise to adequately address youth mental health.
Similar to the apparent shortage of mental health providers throughout the countrySchools are facing challenges in finding and retaining counselors.
As The American School Counseling AssociationSchools should have a ratio of 250 students per counselor. But in the 2020-2021 school year, that national average was 415 to 1.
Published on August 23, 2022
[ad_2]
Source link
