Research Paper about Students' Mental Health

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance reported that 17.2 percent of high school students seriously considered suicide and 7.4 percent attempted suicide. Students struggle in and out of school with positive and negative self thoughts. In the article, “Discovery Behavioral Health Opens New Residential Center in Tampa Bay Area for Adolescent Mental Health Services” there are multiple pieces of evidence to provide proof of the struggles students have facing mental health issues. A major challenge faced by students today is poor mental health which can lead to suicide but when addressed it shows stronger academic achievement.

Poor mental health could lead to suicide which is why it needs to be addressed. More mental health services should be offered to student because “In 2017, there were more than 6,200 suicide deaths among adolescents and young adults ages 15-24, making it the second-leading cause of death for that age group” (“Discover Behavioral Health”). This is an extremely alarming statistic and there needs to be more options of help for students. Mental illness is a serious problem that needs more attention from our society.  Because it is often overlooked, youth suicides are on the rise. Suicide results from adolescents suffering from depression and other mood and anxiety disorders: “An annual average of about 47,000 adolescents aged 12--17 in the state received treatment in the past year for their depression, a mental illness linked to suicide” (“Discovery Behavrioal Health”). With successful therapy, adolescents work on developing relationships, interpersonal skills, and are provided with an encouraging environment where they can then transfer skills from therapy to home. Unfortunately, there are limited treatment facilities and opportunities available to students. Additionally, it isn’t always clear when students are suffering from mental health issues, and as stated could result in suicidal thoughts. In conclusion, getting help needs to be a lot more accesible for students than it has been considering it has been proven that suicide rates are the highest they have ever been within adolescents. 

Furthermore, addressing poor mental health is what leads to stronger academic achievement. The struggles of Covid-19 were especially challenging for students: “Adolescents were particularly vulnerable to mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. They experienced stress, anxiety and isolation” (“Discover Behavioral Health”). Today some of the biggest struggles society faces are the effects of the recent pandemic. Covid-19 impacted our students developing their identity through the social relationships with their peers.  The isolation leads to increased loneliness, anxiety, and depression. The rise of these mental health disorders during and after the pandemic is what students are having trouble recognizing and addressing. Since students do not acknowledge when and why they need help, a common issue is not having a stable mental wellbeing while in school: “Research shows that adolescents exhibiting strong mental health are likely to have better academic achievement” (“Discovery Behavioral Health”). Since strong academic achievement is an indicator of strong mental health, we need to focus on giving students more opportunities for effective therapies for those who struggle with poor mental health. When a student has these resources, they have the ability to strengthen their mental stability, which can lead to great success academically. In short, because of the lack of help students are offered, poor mental health is a continuous problem and has been proven through poor academic achievement. 

In today's world, students struggle with poor mental health, which can lead to suicide, but when offered the right supports they show academic achievement. Not to mention poor mental health can be caused by numerous things that go on in a teen’s life. Because of the alarming statistics and for the well-being of students, there needs to be more attention towards mental health. Because you never know what is going on in an individual’s life, so treating everyone with kindness is very important and can change a child’s viewpoint.