The benefits of mental health services in schools cannot be over-emphasized. The challenges of life come with varying degrees of depression that affect our mental state thus the advantages of mental health services in schools should be appreciated by all.
Health according to WHO is the state of all-around well-being of an individual not necessarily only the absence of disease. In the definition of health by WHO your mental state is cardinal and must be cared for at all courses.
People are faced with mental health issues worldwide, according to National Alliance on Mental Health, 1 in every 5 youth is faced with one mental disorder or other.
Introduction to benefits of mental health services in schools
Schools are meant to be all-round in their teachings and activity, and of all things, the teaching of maintaining a sound and healthy mental state should not be compromised in nurturing the students. It is only a healthy mind that will have the ability to partake in school activities.
Not having a sound mental state comes with much detrimental behavior and the student must be watched and monitored closely.
However, the good news is that students spend the majority of their time in school therefore, schools play a vital and critical role in supporting these students and providing a safe and supportive natural environment in which students have access to maintaining, preventing, and treating mental health issues through the provision of school-based mental health services.
Research conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Adolescent Health showed that students prefer healthcare services through their school clinics also, schools provide a natural setting in which students can receive needed supports and services and where families are comfortable and trusting in accessing these supports and services.
Mental health services are mostly solicited for treatment of alcohol and drug use disorders although for students it is not always the case. Some students are genetically not mentally strong so when they face the challenges of life, it easily affects them adversely, and thus the need to know these benefits of mental health services in schools.
Mental health is a broad subject that comprises many things that affect individual day-to-day activities ranging from but not limited to emotion, mood, anxiety anger, understanding, and other serious medical mental issues.
Knowing the cause of a problem gives one a better edge in solving the problem but it is quite unfortunate that most students go about these mental states of medical concern without recognizing it.
Mental health services in schools can come in different ways and approaches. And each school chooses an approach suitable for her and the students in order to maximize the impact and efficacy of these mental health services.
Ways of setting up mental health services in schools
For proper and effective dissemination of some of these services, schools can collaborate with health and medical workers or hire psychologists, counselors, nurses, and other essential workers depending on the situation. Below are some of the approaches:
- Organization of mental health-related topics and lectures in the school
- Development treatment services that address the various mental health needs of students
- Creation of a conducive environment that favors the mental states of students
- Encouraging team and fieldwork for and among students
- Room should be created for early intervention services for students in need of additional mental supports
- Having standard rules that are worthwhile in uplifting the morals of students
- Development of proper conflict resolution bodies
- Encouragement of students in doing what they enjoy doing most especially in sports and other subject areas.
- Teaching the students ways to meditate and expose their minds to reality checks
- Development of student supports and family resources
Benefits of mental health services in schools
Below are some of the benefits of mental health services in schools:
- Early recognition of health issues
- Fulfillments of purpose
- Social skill building
- Reduction in social vices
- Building of leadership skill
- Self-discovery and awareness
- Academic success
- Fast recovery for students with severe mental conditions
- Prevention of suicide
- Reduction in drug abuse
- Providing more access to treatment
- Medical data and information keeping
- Elimination of mental health stigma
Early recognition of health issues
As earlier stated when an illness is detected on time it becomes better and easy to get it treated or alleviated. And is no doubt this is one of the benefits of mental health services in schools.
Fulfillments of purpose
A sound state of mind comes with taking the right decisions and making proper plans in the achievement of goals and fulfillment of destiny.
Social skill building
Through improved social interaction, one can build social skills in relating to other students and the general public at large.
Reduction in social vices
Awareness created from health services with quality policies and rules will help cut down social vices among the youths. When one is exposed to the detriments that come with an unhealthy social lifestyle through health services organized in schools, one will choose to go the right path in life.
Building of leadership skill
An unhealthy mental state cannot make a good leader. When one is mentally fit, he stands a better chance in skill-building like that of leadership skill
Self-discovery and awareness
Through lectures and articles in health services, students are given the proper guidelines in building their skills, and through health service activities talents can be discovered and self-awareness becomes pronounced.
Academic success
A healthy mental state is open for learning and assimilation of things taught in schools also, access to comprehensive social learning programs makes a student outstanding and this can be considered as one of the benefits of mental health services in schools.
Fast recovery for students with severe mental conditions
Youths with severe mental health conditions heal and learn faster when they interact with other mentally healthy ones. As such they cope better with medication and social health changes and this is facilitated by the activities of mental health services.
Prevention of suicide
In recent times suicide has been common among youths, however, this act of taking one’s own life can be traced to mental illness. Through awareness created in the course of mental health services, one will understand oneself, and that will reduce the cases of suicide in the nation.
It is no doubt that people can be depressed without knowing and depression most times leads to this sinful act, but early identification in the course of mental health evaluation can help curb suicidal incidences.
Reduction in drug abuse
This can be linked to depression, when a student is depressed, ignorantly they believe that drug can bring back inner peace as such they become drug addicts in the process and eventually hurt themselves from that act.
However, reduction in drug misuse is one of the advantages of mental health services in schools because of awareness of the dangers of drug abuse.
Providing more access to treatment
As earlier stated, students prefer access to health facilities through the school compared to other places, therefore this will help in early detection and improvement to access to treatments.
Medical data and information keeping
Among the benefits of mental health services in schools, the fast-tracking of student’s health data is accomplished.
Elimination of mental health stigma
Mental health services in school help students to easily open up about their mental state or how they feel to a health practitioner without being afraid of being judged.
Oftentimes, the things students face are judgemental, ranging from the inability to reach an expected goal or to act in a particular manner. When these expectations are not met, people easily judge not considering what the student is facing mentally.
The good news is, through mental health services in schools, students can be appreciated for their little wins and not condemned for their little failures.
Conclusion
Mental should be cared for with all seriousness, and youths facing a hard time should be monitored and encouraged most especially by parents, teachers, and guardians.
Activities, programs, and services for healthy mental states among students should be encouraged in every level of study.
Students should be encouraged in all courses through applauds and commendations of their little wins.
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Chibueze Uchegbu is a certified medical physiologist with a great passion for healthy living.
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