(Persuasive form)

Giving attention to students’ mental health is important.

Present-day students go through much pressure. They have to do well at school, map their futures well, and meet the expectations of their family and society. It can be a very stressing thing for the young people, especially those ending up high school or in 12th grade. While ensuring good performance in school is necessary, it is easy to forget how students need their mental health worked upon in order to chart their future.

what it means to be a student, especially at the last year of school. They know how tough it is emotionally and mentally for students. Stress, anxiety, or even depression is not some minor issue. In fact, they could hit an entire generation pretty badly. That’s why we need to speak about students’ mental health and find new ways to help them.

Rise in Mental Health Issues in Students

In the last 10 years, the problem of mental health diseases among students has been rising. According to surveys, about 1 student out of 5 suffers from anxiety, depression, or stress. Many of these problems are triggered by academic pressure, competition with friends, and fear of failure. This pressures the majority of 12th-grade students as they approach such important exams and college or job levels. Such situations make even the best students anxious all the time.

Many students get threatened by the assumption that seeking help is a sign of weakness and failure. This aggravates the problem because they get trapped in their stress.

Consequence of Not Dealing with Mental Health

Bad things can happen to students when they are mentally ill. For example, when they are smart and capable students, they might lose interest in their course. Lower grades result in pressure added to them. Other students might develop other physical symptoms like headaches or sleeplessness which do not seem related to mental health at all.

This may lead to harming themselves in the worst cases or even suicidal thoughts. According to studies, suicide is one of the leading causes of death in young people. The feeling of becoming “perfect” creates an impression that such students are hopeless and are stuck. Moreover, these problems do not necessarily fade away when these students leave school. Career, relationships, and quality of life may be highly affected when mental health is neglected for many years.

Role of Schools and Educational Institutions

Schools play an important role concerning the mental health of their students besides keeping them in academics. Notably, schools do not attend to the emotional and psychological well-being of students.

Well-trained mental health professionals, such as counselors and therapists, in schools can be an effective solution. They can create a network of safety through which worrying thoughts from a student can flow. Since, in a great number of cultures, mental health is not well understood, having some professionals, for example at the school level, can be beneficial in that particular support can actually aid children or students to receive the attention they need.

Teachers also have a large role. They can notice when a student’s grades drop, or when a student starts missing school, and reach out to offer help. Schools can also put in lessons that teach the students about mental health, helping to ease stigma and teaching students about self-care.

Why Parental Support Matters

Parents play a very vital role in life, especially in the critical years, that is during the 12th grade. At times, parents do not realize the extent of pressure they are mounting on their children, and hence, anxiety creeps into the mind of the child. Students start believing that the very purpose of their life is only based on this performance.

Parents should be there to provide emotional support besides academic support. Open communication at the parent-child level reduces the weight on students’ heads. Grades alone do not define a child’s worth. Creativity, emotional intelligence, and resilience are all equally important qualities.

Parents should be able to detect initial symptoms of mental health problems in their children and seek early help before things get worse.

Acts that Support the Mental Health of Students

Some of the acts that the schools, families, and the communities can take in supporting the mental health of students include:

1. School-based Mental Health Services: Schools should have mental health professionals available to students and work with local mental health services to organize workshops for both students and parents.
2. Schools and Colleges in Mental Health: The students should be given mental health care, self-care and managing stress along with an understanding of his emotion. Peer support programs will also help the students.
3. Reducing academic stress: Academic pressure may be eased off by focusing on growth in totality rather than just getting As. More should be placed on co-curricular activities and hobbies than academics.
4. Encourage Open Communication: Parents and teachers must teach the student to open up about their feelings without fear of judgment.
5. Teach for Mindfulness and Relaxation: School curricula must include mindfulness, yoga, or any such de-stressing skills of relaxation in it. This will help de-stress the child’s mind.

Conclusion

Mental well-being is just as important, if not more important than academic excellence. Having been through a similar experience, the author recognizes how hard it can be for students, especially at 12th grade. Building such learning environments that not only ensure the academic success of students but also emotionally healthy individuals will be of much essence. As such, this becomes the opportune moment to give priority to mental health for the benefit of the student and the society.