Mental Well-Being In Education

“It is extremely concerning that, despite the evident and increasing need for mental health services, which has become even more acute during the COVID-19 pandemic, good intentions are not being met with investment.”- Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization. Prior to the novel coronavirus pandemic, many of us took our state of mental wellness for granted. The World Health Organization’s new Mental Health Atlas paints a dismal picture of a worldwide failure to provide people with the mental health services they need, at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is highlighting a growing need for mental health support. The latest edition of the Atlas, which includes data from 171 countries, provides a clear indication that the increased attention given to mental health in recent years has yet to result in a scale-up of quality mental services that is aligned with needs. Those of us who work in the education system are very much aware of the high stress levels, not only for educators but also for the students. Student mental health was particularly vulnerable under the pandemic because remote learning negatively impacted traditional school-based services. For many students school is that safe space where at least one cooked meal is guaranteed daily in addition to having the services of a guidance counsellor. Each year, an estimated 1 in 5 U.S. children experience a mental, emotional or behavioral disorder, including anxiety, depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and disruptive behavioral disorders. Yet only about 20% of them receive care from a specialized mental health provider, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The physical closure of our schools has had and is having an emotional rollercoaster on the mental health of our students. For many students school was that safe haven where they could interact and engage with their peers without fear. Sadly, we have had a spate of recent stabbing incidents among the student population in our schools resulting in at least 1 death since the resumption of face-face-instructions. During the lockdown due to the novel coronavirus many students endured untold emotional and physical abuses in their homes. School closures and the subsequent distance-learning modality have usurped many of our students’ routines. This change of the normal routine for many students has been the trigger point for depression and other symptoms of mental health. Males at a Greater Risk Traditionally, boys have been taught early in life to be “strong” by not sharing their emotions. Boys are socialized not to cry and to ‘man up’ when they experience physical and emotional pain. Boys who do not subscribe to this playbook of manhood are oftentimes ridicule and ostracized. As boys grow into men, these expectations hold steadfast and emotions continue to be “bottled up inside” potentially causing anxiety, depression, and even suicide if not managed properly. In many cultures, emotional vulnerability is viewed as a sign of weakness for men and as such many men abstain from seeking the help they need. The notion of male vulnerability is a safe space results in many men suffering in silence. Teaching Staff and Mental Wellness Teaching is one of the most stressful jobs. While it may seems that the work of a teacher ends at the dismissal bell; the teachers’ work duties extend well beyond the school day hours. Teachers have to create lesson plans, grade papers, design curricula, and even attend continuing education courses and other school-related activities. Teachers are more likely to suffer job-related stress than other professionals, a study has found. According to analysis conducted by the National Foundation for Educational Research one in five teachers feels tense about their job all or most of the time, compared with one in eight workers in similar professions. Reducing teachers’ workload would reduce the numbers of teachers quitting the profession, the report suggested. Jack Worth, a co-author of the report, said: “England’s schools are facing significant challenges in recruiting and retaining sufficient numbers of teachers. “Nurturing, supporting and valuing teachers is vital to making teaching an attractive and rewarding career choice. “In order to do this, there is a clear need to improve the working conditions of teachers, with a focus on making the teaching career more manageable and sustainable.” Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, many didn’t grasp the importance of mental health care for children, says Dr. Michael Enenbach, clinical director of the Child Mind Institute. “I think that the pandemic, in and of itself, has created this collective trauma with all of us,” says Enenbach. He says that shared trauma led to more recognition of what has been a longstanding problem. The amount of stress felt by students has increased in the last 10 years, even before the pandemic discretionary mental health days for students, is beneficial, Enenbach says. He adds that students and parents should have a conversation about why a mental health day might be helpful. Enenbach adds parents should establish clear parameter so the time off doesn’t interfere with school work and the day is structured in a way that actually helps students de-stress. Social and Emotional Learning The classroom is the place where students are often first exposed to people who are from a range of different backgrounds, hold differing beliefs, and have unique capabilities. To account for these differences and help put all students on an equal footing to succeed, social and emotional learning (SEL) aims to help students and adults to better understand their thoughts and emotions. Additionally, SEL is important in order for us to become more self-aware, and to develop more empathy for others within our communities and the world around. Social-emotional learning (SEL) is the process of developing the self-awareness, self-control, and interpersonal skills that are vital for school, work, and life success. People with strong social-emotional skills are better able to cope with everyday challenges and benefit academically, professionally, and socially. From effective problem-solving to self-discipline, from impulse control to emotion management and more, SEL provides a foundation for positive, long-term effects on kids, adults, and communities. According to the Collaborative for Academic Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL) there are 5 core competencies of Social and Emotional Learning. These are: Self-awareness which is to recognize your emotions and how they impact your behavior; acknowledging your strengths and weaknesses to better gain confidence in your abilities. Self-management which takes control and ownership of one’s thoughts, emotions, and actions in various situations, as well as setting and working toward goals. Social Awareness- The ability to put yourself in the shoes of another person who may be from a different background or culture from the one you grew up with; to act with empathy and in an ethical manner within your home, school, and community. Relationship Skills which is the ability to build and maintain healthy relationships with people from a diverse range of backgrounds. This competency focuses on listening to and being able to communicate with others, peacefully resolving conflict, and knowing when to ask for or offer help. Finally, there is Making responsible decisions-Choosing how to act or respond to a situation based on learned behaviors such as ethics, safety, weighing consequences and the well-being of others, as well as yourself. Reimagining the Future Our schools should not bear the burden of addressing the mental health issues of our students. There needs to be partnerships with community-based mental health providers, guidance counsellors including psychologists, social workers and licensed counsellors, in order to prevent students from falling through the cracks. There should be at least one guidance counselor in all our public schools at all levels from the early childhood to secondary levels. Oftentimes we tend to forget about those students who attend private schools. The same principle of having guidance counsellors in our public schools should be applied here. Our policy makers should ensure that critical elements of a national mental health policy are included in the National Standards Curriculum (NSC). In reimaging the future of education it is clear that we need to weave elements of Social and Emotional Learning into the National Standards Curriculum in order to better prepare our students for the world in which they will live. Jamaica’s education system must be responsive to the mental health challenges of those it serves. It is absolutely necessary to have discretionary mental health days off from school. Perhaps, a timetabling of mental health sessions daily or weekly could also be an option. What is important is the acknowledgment that mental wellness impacts both teaching and learning. Jamaica’s outdated Education Act of 1965 needs to move into the 21st century in order to reflect this reality. The time to have a national conversation concerning mental health wellness is now. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo ©