What+are+some+of+the+most+common+causes+of+student+mental+health+issues?

Kiersten Gardella 11/18/15

Gonchar, M. (2015, September 15). Are High School Students Being Worked Too Hard? Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/09/15/are-high-school-students-being-worked-too-hard/?_r=0

This article was mainly about whether high school students are being pushed to hard in schools today. Many of the pressures come from taking Advanced Placement courses, or to take more extracurricular activities to fluff up their college resumes. Getting accepted into college has become such a competitive field, forcing students to turn to things like Adderall and Ritalin. Many teenagers today feel so overwhelmed and stressed out that they are only getting a fraction of the rest they need. Sleep deprivation can lead to many things such as depression and anxiety.

I plan to use the information in this article because it demonstrates reasons as to why students have shown increased depression and anxiety. This helped my research in finding some of the reasons why more and more students are plagued with mental illnesses. Taking Adderall and Ritalin can be detrimental to someone who is not prescribed to it. The work load that schools put on students now have allowed them to sleep less. The American school system has become a set program, status-obsessed, and at often times spirit-sapping. The competitive nature has made it that students are no longer learning to learn, they are learn for a test.

Noguchi, S. (2014, February 5). Teen health: Depression, anxiety and social phobias rising in kids, educators say. Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://www.mercurynews.com/health/ci_25074044/teen-health-depression-anxiety-and-social-phobias-rising

This article was mainly about how more and more students are suffering from depression, anxiety, and social phobia. Not only are high schoolers suffering from depression and anxiety but more and more younger students are starting to be affected by the high stresses of school. One school in California had such a drastic number of suicides the district trained teachers, put in place safeguards. offered more counseling and now is training all students in how to intervene with those who may thirteen to kill themselves. What behind the rise of depression or anxiety is still uncertain. Some theories include poor or dysfunctional families, absent and preoccupied parents, over use of technology, social media, and extraordinary pressure on kids to do well in school.

This article was very helpful because it specifically stated the factors that could be causes students to develop depression and anxiety. Poor or dysfunctional families, absent or preoccupied parents, over use of technology, social media, and extraordinary pressure on kids all are legitimate reasons as to why students develop mental illnesses. An example of extraordinary pressures is that a student, who did not want to be identified, collapsed in the school bathroom for a disabling emotional breakdown after realizing she had received a D on her report card. This is just one of the many examples as to how students are suffering under the enormous amounts of pressure.

Clemmitt, M. (2007, July 13). Students Under Stress. Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://library.cqpress.com.uri.idm.oclc.org/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2007071300&type=hitlist&num=3

This article was mainly about if schools ultimately assign too much homework for first through third-graders. It is said that the average homework load for elementary students has doubled over the past two decades. Parents are saying the added pressure robs children of their much needed play and family time and can cause stress, sleep deprivation, depression and family strife. The worry of the U.S being able to compete with international schools is one of the main causes of the increased amount of work load. The government has increased pressure on schools to raise achievement but, most of this pressure has fallen on the younger generation.

I plan to use the information I obtained in this article because it demonstrates just how much work load they put on students. An even more pressing matter is how much work they give students between first and third grade. This is a time where they should enjoy going to school and learning the basics of the information they are going to be using for the rest of their lives. If you overwhelm them at such a young age they are not going to be motived to go to school and learn what they need to. Also, you are taking away from the very important social development when it comes to play and family time. Giving them so much work they have to sacrifice that, when it is just as important.

Przedworski, J. (2015, July 1). Self-Reported Mental Disorders and Distress by Sexual Orientation. Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://www.sciencedirect.com.uri.idm.oclc.org/science/article/pii/S0749379715000483

This article talked mainly about how gay/lesbian students may be at increased risk of poor mental health. Some of the factors that contribute to poor mental health are minority stress, stigma, and discrimination. This factors could affect the students’ academics, future health, and social functioning. College Student Health Survey took a survey with heterosexual, gay or lesbian, bisexual, and unsure students asking them about their mental health diagnoses,frequent mental stresses, and stressful life events. “Lesbian, gay, and bisexual students were more likely to report any mental health disorder diagnosis than heterosexual students. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and unsure students were significantly more like to report frequent mental stresses compared to heterosexual students. All sexual minority groups, with the exception of unsure men, had significantly greater odds of experiencing two or more stressful life events.

The information in this article is very helpful for my topic in the project because it describes yet another reason why students face mental issues such as depression and anxiety. It stated how mental disorders are one of the most common health conditions, affecting about one in four students in the U.S. Students who identify as gay/lesbian, bisexual, or unidentified often face many different struggles as someone who is heterosexual. They are often subject to bullying which affects the students mental health tremendously. Often times the students who suffering from bullying do not want to go to school, or even worse may in fact commit suicide.

Sarkova, M. (2014, November 12). Adolescents' psychological well-being and self-esteem in the context of relationships at school. Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://www-tandfonline-com.uri.idm.oclc.org/doi/abs/10.1080/00131881.2014.965556#aHR0cDovL3d3dy10YW5kZ

This article was mainly about if the relationships and experiences that students have at school influence their development, psychological well-being, self esteem and social adjustment. The findings of the study that the performed was that the better the pupil-peer relationships and also pupil-teacher relationships were significantly related statistically to less depression/anxiety and social dysfunction, as well as to more positive and less negative self-esteem. Overall, the study found that connections between pupil-teacher relationships and well-being and self-esteem, between those who bullied and those who were bullied, the school environment can play a very important role in enforcing anti-bullying prevention strategies.

This article was helpful in the sense that it states that the experiences students have at school influence their development, psychological well-being, self-esteem, and social adjustment. This just goes to show how important school is on a students well being in life.