Mental Health in School

While a mental health professional is the most appropriate to work with a student struggling with their mental health, knowing signs and symptoms of mental health struggles can help to identify and support students. Mental health disorders look different in everybody, but here are some common mental health disorders and ways they may present themselves while a student is in school.

Remember if you notice a student is important to access them to appropriate care.

Anxiety

  • Increased nervousness or fear

  • Seeking constant approval or reassurance from others

  • Physical symptoms such as recurring stomach aches, headaches, or difficulty breathing

  • Increased irritability and difficulty calming down

  • Difficulty concentrating due to worry

Depression

  • Appearing sad and withdrawn more often than not

  • Withdrawing from activities they previously enjoyed

  • Increased fatigue or giving up more quickly than normal

  • Difficulty concentrating or putting in little effort

  • Increased absences or tardiness

ADHD

  • Appearing fidgety or having difficulty sitting still in class

  • Running, climbing, or acting out during inappropriate times

  • Difficulty doing tasks quietly

  • Difficulty with patience and waiting for their turn

  • Appearing to always be “on the go” or difficulty not talking

These are a brief description of common mental health disorders students may be struggling with. For more detailed information on these disorders and others please utilize the resources below:

While some children may need support for their mental health, there are other reasons students may be struggling in school.

Here are some examples of things to consider with students:

Grief

For children grief can have a big impact on their ability to perform and focus in school. While dealing with grief schoolwork may seem pointless or more difficult.

Listening, providing empathy, and meeting students where they are at may help them to manage grief while in school.

Trauma

Trauma can make it difficult for students to focus or care about schoolwork. Often children can be distracted while processing trauma.

Peer Relationships

Relationships with others are incredibly important to children. When a student is experiencing bullying, fights with peers, or feeling isolated from other students they may find it difficult to focus in school.

Talking to students about their relationships with others, empathizing, and providing active listening may help students process peer relationships to better focus on school.

Difficulty with Identity

While in school children are working to build their own identity outside of their family. They may struggle with their own identity, sexuality, or gender while in school. This can be very distracting to students as they navigate the world around them.

Talking to students and providing empathy may help them to be able to navigate identity and allow them to feel safe while in the classroom.