Mental Health and High School Drop Out Rates Is There a Connection
Published On: March 30, 2017|Categories: Teen Mental Health|

When you are dealing with the complications and side effects of a mental health disorder, focusing on anything else can be quite challenging. And if a certain situation is one of the primary causes of these mental health symptoms, facing that situation can feel overwhelming entirely.

We’re talking here about high school.

While it is a notoriously difficult time of life, with complicated friendship dynamics to navigate, a larger amount of school work and more demands on your time with extracurriculars, it can be made even more difficult with the onset of a mental health disorder. For teens who struggle with a mental illness or who begin to experience one’s onset during their adolescent years, finishing high school can be extremely hard.

Mental health in high school students

It is stereotypically assumed that high school is a time of fluctuating emotions, moodiness and challenging authority – and while it’s true that there is some of this which naturally occurs as a child begins taking steps into adulthood, there should not be an excessive amount of any of these things.

Uncontrollable emotions, increased moodiness (including sadness, irritability or anger) and a reckless disregard for rules can actually be indicative of a much greater problem, and not simple teenage rebellion. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if this was the case as 1-in-5 teens have, or will develop a serious mental illness.

Mental illness in teens is highly prevalent nowadays with:

  • 20 percent of youths living with a mental health condition
  • 11 percent living with a mood disorder
  • 10 percent with a behavioral conduct disorder
  • And at least eight percent with an anxiety disorder

While mental health statistics are ever-growing and changing, these numbers still rank high, indicating that teen mental health is a serious problem that needs to be addressed.

How does high school affect mental health?

So, when a teen enrolls in high school, does their mental health suddenly take a nose dive? Is this something every parent should be prepared to deal with?

Not necessarily. Many children will have already begun showing signs, but going into the high school environment may cause those signs to be even more apparent, may trigger new or different behaviors as a result of an underlying mental illness or may be the start of the development of a mental health disorder.

It’s unfair to say that high school is causing mental health disorders, but it is important to note that certain elements, social situations and academic expectations may trigger responses based on a mental illness. These factors may include:

  • Bullying
  • Peer pressure
  • Greater academic pressure/expectations
  • Struggling with grades and feeling unsupported academically
  • Difficulties with friends
  • Troubles at home
  • Challenges with extracurriculars
  • Pressure regarding the future, including college applications and scholarships

Navigating these situations on top of their changing minds and bodies is a challenge for even those who do not battle a mental illness, meaning intentional support is needed for all teens during their years in high school in order to prevent dropout rates from rising and to foster good mental health overall.

How to support a teen struggling with mental health

Whether you notice your teen struggling with mental health or just having a harder time navigating high school in general, try not to dismiss it as routine adolescent moodiness, or the like. Take the time to talk with your teen and determine what – if anything – is going on beneath the surface. Listen to what they have to say and see if there’s anything you can do to offer support.

If you feel like the conversation is unproductive, there are other ways to foster strong mental health in high school, including:

  • Encouraging a good sleep/wake routine – Homework, extracurriculars and social events are more prone to making a healthy sleeping routine difficult, but one’s mental health is highly dependent on getting plenty of sleep each night
  • Promoting a healthy diet – What we put into our body is a strong determining factor of how well we perform physically and how well we cope mentally. By doing your best to keep nutritious meals available, you can promote boosted mental health for your teen
  • Foster time spent outside – Whether it’s hiking, swimming, biking, camping or simply sunbathing, time spent in the sunshine is crucial for one’s mental wellbeing
  • Be open to conversation – If your teen wants to talk with you or seeks your advice, give them the space they need to express their thoughts, and only give advice when it’s warranted or asked for
  • Be a supporter of counseling – Most likely counseling services are available to your child at school, and if the situation at hand is too big for you to handle, helping your child seek professional mental health services not only shows them you care but helps debunk the myth that therapy is taboo

Don’t be afraid to seek help for yourself either. Helping your teen navigate their high school years is hard, and one of the best ways you can support your teen is through boosting your own mental stability as well.

Getting help

Parents should generally be on the lookout for signs that their children may have mental health issues. Some indications of potential problems are when a child becomes withdrawn, exhibits odd or disruptive behavior, starts using substances or begins to get lower grades at school.

If you suspect your child is experiencing a mental health issue, it is important to intervene. Healthcare professionals who specialize in mental health are available all over, including at High Focus Centers. To get in touch with someone today, call our offices at 800-877-3628 to learn more.

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