Position Paper

The Need to Include the Mental Health Education in the
Curriculum
by: Iver Lake G. Casidsid
Mental Health Education refers to both formal educational programs and

informal strategies for mental health promotion. These programs or informal
strategies might cover educational programs for various stakeholders such as
school staff, parents, and students on symptoms of and help for mental health
problems. These could also aim to promote psychosocial competencies and build
psychological resilience, contribute to ensure positive, healthy, and safe work
environments, and reinforce positive behaviors and decision-making.
Mental health is hard to define since there are so many issues surrounding it
such as identifying the signs and classifying a particular illness. However, all
definitions have a common mention of a state of mind/well-being of physical,
mental, and social health. Almost 1 out of 5 children experience a mental disorder
and 75 percent of all lifetime mental health conditions begin by age 24 which
makes this an important public health issue. Unfortunately, children are not
receiving enough support nor resources for their health. As a result, suicide rates
have increased by 30% since 1999 and it’s the second leading cause of death
among 10–24-year-olds. This was only the beginning of bringing awareness
publicly in the schools. Schools should take the lead on providing mental health
services and scratch the traditional healthcare systems which are ill-suited to help
children. Children should be more informed of mental health and how to take
better care of their health. The stigma of mental health is still present in today’s
society. People are too afraid to admit their problems and ask for the help they
need. They don’t want to be labeled as being crazy, insane, or unstable. Children
are especially sensitive towards the opinions of others. The last thing students need
is to feel totally rejected and isolated due to speaking out about their mental state.
Since the rise of social media, children are more open to expressing their feelings
but there has been a backlash with this new way of oversharing. Bullying is not
something new. Cyberbullying is becoming a huge problem, it can occur anytime
and, this kind of bullying can lead to low self-esteem, stress, anger issues, and
other emotional outbursts if continued. There have been studies that suggest stress
is a leading factor towards signs of mental health.
The Mental Heath Education program supports the emotional health and
academic growth of all students with the following; Integrating comprehensive
services and support throughout every grade level, Assessing mental health needs
through universal, selective, and targeted interventions, Providing access to
behavioral and mental health services and programs, Leveraging higher-level
personnel, such as those working with the Department of Education, for necessary
support and services, Building collaborative relationships between the school and
students' families and communities.
By exposing children at an early age to these programs, they can make
students understand the difference between a stigma and the truth of mental health.
There are many ways children can treat their illness whether by mediation, therapy,
or simple self-care. Even apps are dedicated to treatment. Children need to know
these things are available for them as resources. Schools only briefly talk about
depression and anxiety but they don’t provide their students with the proper tools
to maintain their mental health beyond school. These programs will prepare them
for not just school but in life. By children generating more awareness, it can reach
a wider audience outside their immediate circle of peers.
The next step would be training school faculty in mental health awareness
workshops. This would improve and establish more student-teacher relationships.
Teachers and officials alike want to help their students but don’t have the
necessary tools. There are tons of awareness training sessions faulty can
incorporate like mental health counseling. They can do special workshops where
teachers can not only do team-building exercises but awareness training as well.
It’s important for children to establish relationships with teachers in case they need
to call for help in their time of need. If students feel they can go to their teachers
for help then this can be the start of reversing negative stigma and providing
positive reinforcement. Ultimately, if all students have great mental health then
they’ll be an improvement in standardized test scores which means more funding
for schools by the end of the year.
Parents are another concern when it comes to children and mental health.
Some parents may not comfortable with the idea of having programs discussing
sensitive issues with their children. There will always be parents who are more
susceptible than others but not admitting their children might have a problem is not
the right move. Parents are usually the first to notice changes in children’s
behaviors. Sometimes parents can be part of the program a child is having with
their health. If parents were to work together with the schools then there can be a
chance of improvement in their child’s health. By having these awareness
programs in schools, children will be able to start talking more openly to their
parents, establishing their relationships.
Until mental health education is a mandatory aspect of all schools, teachers

and administrators can work to promote awareness with their students. Key
elements to shine a light on include the concept of self-care and responsibility for
one's own mental health and wellness, with an emphasis on the fact that mental
health is an integral part of health, and the concept of recovery from mental illness.
Teachers and students should be provided with ways to recognize signs of
developing mental health problems, and there should be opportunities around the
awareness and management of mental health crises, including the risk of suicide or
self-harm. Further, instruction should address the relationship between mental
health, substance abuse, and other negative coping behaviors, as well as the
negative impact of stigma and cultural attitudes toward mental illness.
Overall, Children need a place to feel safe and loved without any prejudice
or judgment of others. School should be a place of learning & acceptance but
instead, it can be a place of endless stress and headache. Children’s health and
safety are always our first priority and yet, by not cooperating these programs in
schools, we are not fulfilling these priorities. There are always posters about
washing our hands, anti-drinking and driving, and anti-drug around schools, why
not add posters about the importance of mental health or self-care workshops?
Mental health is as much if not more important than physical health. Because teens
spend most of their day at school, it just makes sense to have mental health
awareness and education become part of the curriculum. When we empower
students with knowledge, and encourage dialogue, students will be able to get the
help they need. Although implementing this can be really quite a process and the
government and instutions needs to have a full time focus regarding with this
matters for this is important and serious topic and once implemented, it can really
make a great change.

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The Need to Include the Mental Health Education in the

Mental Health Education refers to both formal educational programs and

Until mental health education is a mandatory aspect of all schools, teachers

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