In early 2021, emergency room visits in the U.S. for suicide attempts increased a staggering 51% for adolescent girls over the same period in 2019. Even before the pandemic, mental health challenges were increasingly common among young people, with 1 in 5 children ages 3 to 17 living with a mental, emotional, developmental or behavioral disorder. Between 2007 and 2018, suicide rates among youth ages 10 to 24 in the U.S. increased by 57%.

Schools nationwide must combat these concerning trends by creating a culture of caring conducive to student well-being and mental health in these seven proven ways.

  1. Develop Life Skills
  2. Promote Social Connectedness and a Positive School Climate
  3. Encourage Help-Seeking Behaviors
  4. Improve Recognition of and Response to Signs of Distress and Risk
  5. Ensure Student Access to Effective Mental Health Treatment
  6. Establish and Follow Crisis Management Procedures
  7. Promote Means Safety

Read the full article about student mental health by John MacPhee at The 74.