Mental health has been an ongoing issue with teens within the school system.

This includes many mental disorders including anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. However, mental health itself may not be the problem,;I believe it may just be the way schools go about handling it. 

Many schools, including East, have in-school counselors and social workers who tend to students who express needs regarding mental disorders. I feel that social workers and counselors, even the ones at East, have far too much on their plate to give students necessary attention for mental disorders. 

According to blog.providence.org, with each counselor responsible for an average of 500 students, the chances of them recognizing symptoms of mental health issues in a portion of those students are slim. This just goes to show that schools are not equipped with the proper resources and time to tend to students that need help regaining mental stability.

As a student at Bellevue East who has tried to receive proper help regarding mental health, I feel that I was only seen as an “A” on a report card rather than someone to be taken seriously in regards to depression. Just because a student has good grades, that doesn’t reflect the state of their mental health.

There have been many cases throughout the school system where students, like me, have good grades, and because of that they don’t receive proper help. In most of these cases, these students crave academic validation which can lead to even more stress when it comes to balancing school and home-life. 

A lot of this stress occurs as school starts back up again which makes it crucial for school counselors and social workers to keep a lookout for students who may need help. If the student doesn’t receive proper help in time, it can lead to catastrophic consequences.

These consequences include self-harm, mood swings, substance abuse, extreme exhaustion and suicide. In recent years, school systems all over the country including BPS, OPS, PLVPS, and many more not just in Nebraska have experienced loss of students due to suicide. 

What makes a lot of these losses so hard for people to grasp is the fact that these students could be described as upbeat, energetic, fun to be around, always laughing, and so many more different positive characteristics. However, this is what a lot of people don’t understand about mental health.

Depression isn’t a bracelet you wear around and never take off just to show people that you have it; it’s easily hidden behind a simple smile, good report card, and a good laugh with friends. The part that most people don’t see is what goes on when a person is by themselves.

Sometimes friends aren’t enough and someone struggling with mental illness needs something stronger – solutions including not calling a parent or guardian when something comes up if the person isn’t at risk of suicide. I understand that it’s their job, but for me it only made matters worse and even when I informed them the first time, they continued to do it and this may be the same for other struggling students seeking help.

Sometimes all a struggling person needs is someone to talk to that is unbiased and willing to listen. Many struggling students, like myself, find it hard to talk to family members about mental illness so having someone in the school that you can trust can become crucial to helping someone in need.

When I first went to the counselors, I wasn’t told about the in school therapist and this would’ve been a great alternative for me at the time and many other students as well. Therapists emphasize confidentiality and aren’t able to tell anything you say unless you’re at risk of harming yourself. 

When I think about what I experienced last year when it came to my mental state, I wouldn’t want anyone to experience that. I reached out to the school for help and unfortunately didn’t receive what I was seeking.

Instead of reaching out to my parents, they could’ve just listened and checked up on me and instead of telling me that my grades were good to gaslight me into thinking I was fine, they could’ve told me about the in-school therapist.

There are many different solutions schools can take to ensure the mental health of students isn’t at risk; however, things haven’t seemed to change, and in my opinion this should be the top priority over just another A on a report card.