Board members say they strongly support resources that help teens identify and respond to mental health and substance use issues, regardless of political orientation.
Washington, January 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — According to a new national survey of school board members commissioned by Mental Health First Aid, school board members across the country believe that student mental health is the most pressing issue facing schools and students today. I believe it is. united states of america® (MHFA) is a course that teaches individuals how to identify, understand, and respond to the signs and symptoms of mental illness and substance use disorders in friends and neighbors.
Student mental health was a top concern for school board members. 86% reported being ‘extremely concerned’ (56%) or ‘extremely concerned’ (30%), a higher level of concern than expressed regarding school funding ( 51%), staffing issues (48%), and school safety (46%).
This is as the country continues to grapple with the youth mental health crisis. Suicide is not only her third leading cause of death among young people ages 15 to 19, she also said that one in four of her young people ages 12 to 17 had a substance use disorder or major disease in the past year. I am experiencing a depressive episode.
School board members cited family and home life (66%), social media (57%), bullying (44%) and the COVID-19 pandemic (23%).
They also said they strongly believe state and local policymakers should do “more” to address student mental health, with 69% saying the state legislature “does more.” and 62% said county officials should do it. Do more.
When it comes to recognizing the signs that a student is experiencing mental health problems, including suicidal ideation and behavior, 80% of school board members believe that parents, close family members and friends may be experiencing the symptoms. Ranked as the highest.
Recognizing the signs is an important first step, but you also need skills to help someone who may have a mental health or substance use problem. teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) is an evidence-based training sponsored by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing that helps her teens in grades 10-12 or ages 15-18 address mental health or substance use problems. help identify the signs and symptoms of with friends. We teach young people how to discuss mental health and substance use with friends and, most importantly, seek help from a trusted and responsible adult.
When school board members were asked about the importance of access to tMHFA and similar programs for high school students in grades 10-12, 66% said it was “very important” (31%) or “very important” (35%). %). %). These figures remain strong regardless of self-identified political orientation.
MHFA Client Experience Officer Tramaine EL-Amin said, “At a time when so many children are facing mental health and substance use crises, school board members are aware of the need to respond. “They also know that schools, families and teens themselves have an important role to play in dealing with this crisis, and they have the tools that can make a difference. Eager to find it, since 2019, teenage MHFA has proven to be a valuable resource for over 700 schools in 36 states.”
Over 2.9 million adults usa Trained at MHFA. Peer-reviewed studies show that MHFA training increases learners’ knowledge of mental health signs, symptoms, risk factors, and substance use issues, increasing their confidence in their own abilities and potential to help individuals in distress. indicates that it increases Mental health first aiders are also great at identifying the right kinds of professional and self-help resources for individuals with mental health and substance use problems. For more information on teen mental health first aid, visit his website at MHFA.
Conducted a survey of 344 current Board of Education members September 30th to October 17th, 2022, produced by Echelon Insights on behalf of Mental Health First Aid, sampled via the web using a universe of current school board members. The calculated error bar for an unweighted sample of 344 current school board members is +/-5.4%.
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an evidence-based training program administered by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing that teaches individuals how to identify, understand and respond to mental health symptoms and substance use problems. Over 2.9 million usa MHFA is trained by a dedicated base of over 15,000 instructors.
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SOURCE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR MENTAL WELLBEING
