Posted 7/30/2025

Mental health is a subject that everyone is increasingly becoming familiar with. Dispelling myths about mental health can help break the stigma associated with it and create a culture that encourages people of any age to seek support when they need it. Poor mental health affects adolescents, teens, and adults alike and doesn't discriminate based on race, age, religion, or income. If left untreated, poor mental health can evolve into something more harmful such as entertaining suicidal or murderous thoughts. Incidents like mass shootings or motorists driving through crowds of people are often the manifestations of untreated mental illness. Poor mental health even increases the risks of different physical diseases. Various organizations run mental health campaigns in order to educate people about depression and anxiety but these teachings have yet to be mandated in schools where stress is particularly common. Children often face bullying and/or peer pressure on a daily basis and the effects can be multiplied by social media. Societal issues such as political unrest, pollution, and climate change also amplify anxiety and affects mental health, which can eventually lead to emotional trauma. 

Young adults, ages 18-25 in the U.S., experience the highest rates of mental illness (36.2%), followed by those ages 25 to 49 (29.4%), and adults ages 50 and over (13.9%). From ages 10-15, suicide is 5th most cause of death and for those ages 15-19 it's the fourth most cause of death. 60% of high school students dealing with such problems fail to graduate, according to research from NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness... Click Here.

As the mental health needs of students rise, so too do the demands placed on educators. Despite the fact that half of mental health issues start by age 14, many people do not seek help until they reach adulthood, giving instructors an amalgamation of personalities in their classrooms, some with undiagnosed problems. NAMI believes that public practices and policies should promote more awareness of mental health conditions for early identification. NAMI supports laws that allow all schools, private and public, to make access to proper mental health services easier. Research has also revealed that the value of teaching mental health in institutions is essential to reducing violence, promoting a healthy learning environment and restricting risk factors for strange or dangerous behavior. School is a place where students’ minds can be nourished and remain protected with the right steps and strategies. Luckily, awareness is gradually increasing and some schools are also trying to prioritize the mental health of their students using their current resources and tools. Outlets such as dosomething.org is geared towards getting teens and young adults involved with other members of the community to address issues such as mental health.