English

Mental Health Awareness in Schools

Introduction to Mental Health Awareness in Schools

➢Key Points

✓1 in 6 U.S. youth experience a mental health disorder annually (NAMI).

✓Many schools lack resources to address mental health.

✓Mental health programs improve academic performance and reduce absenteeism.

The Need for Mental Health Programs in Schools

➢Key Points

✓Mental health problems in childhood increase the risk of poor academic performance.

✓Externalizing problems at age 3 predict below-grade performance in English and math at age 12.

✓Early intervention through mental health programs can address these issues before they impact academic success.

Call to Action: How You Can Help

➢Key Points

✓Advocate for mental health education in schools.

✓Support organizations like NAMI.

✓Spread awareness on social media or volunteer.

Works Cited

• Agnafors, Sara, Mimmi Barmark, and Gunilla Sydsjö. "Mental health and academic performance: a study on selection and causation effects from childhood to early adulthood." Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology 56 (2021): 857-866.

• National Alliance on Mental Illness. “Mental Health By the Numbers.” NAMI, 2023, https:// www.nami.org/about-mental-illness/mental-health-by-the-numbers/