Mental Health Blog

SAD and other forms of depression can negatively impact all three of these developmental areas. Depressive symptoms affect energy, motivation, memory, and focus – all necessary for academic achievement. They can lead to “hibernating” and other forms of social withdrawal that affect both the quality of friendships and participation in activities that develop teamwork and the ability to navigate relationships with different types of people. And, perhaps most damaging of all, depression impacts one’s sense of self.

This is the time of year when teachers may need additional support to stay motivated – and to ensure their students do, too. Administrators have a vital role to play in helping teachers avoid the doldrums of the second half of the year and ensure that the months from January to June remain satisfying and productive for everyone.

While ordinary disappointments are part of any childhood, depression, severe anxiety, and thoughts of harming oneself are not. Alarmingly, these and other mental health issues are on the rise among our nation’s teenagers, leading experts to declare that America’s young people remain in the midst of a growing mental health crisis.

In today’s rapidly evolving educational environment, addressing the mental health needs of students is more critical than ever. School districts have traditionally focused on robust interventions for the most vulnerable students, but many are now expanding their attention to Tier 2 and Tier 1 programming within the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).

District leaders face the growing challenge of providing effective mental health care for students while managing limited budgets. One strategy for achieving both goals is returning students from costly outside therapeutic placements back into their home districts. By doing so, districts can reallocate dollars toward in-person, school-based, high acuity support for at-risk students.