Back-to-school is a stressful time for students and families. Students are navigating rigorous workloads, back-to-school shopping, and dealing with the mental and physical effects a new routine can cause. As a result, it is increasingly important to take precautionary measures for students’ health. This is especially important given the increase in mental illnesses among teens in recent years. Though this is the result of a variety of factors, one in particular is especially prevalent: academic pressures. According to research, there is a positive association between school pressures and worsening mental health (Steare et al., 2023). This can be a scary statistic for students and families, but this can be easily resolved with the right routine.

To combat such unfortunate circumstances, it is important for students to take care of themselves both mentally and physically. One example of mental health prevention is getting sufficient rest. Research has found that getting less than eight hours of sleep can negatively impact a human’s mental and physical health: “Teens typically need 8-10 hours…It is now recognized that sleep problems can also contribute to the onset and worsening of different mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, and even suicidal ideation.” (How Sleep Deprivation Impacts Mental Health, 2022).

Another example is time management. Managing time can be especially difficult in high school  – students have to juggle school work, extracurriculars, social life, family responsibilities, and sometimes even part-time or full-time jobs. Because of this, correctly managing time can be the difference between a stressful work week and a balanced one. A few ways to better manage time is keeping an updated calendar, setting phone alarms, and creating checklists with rewards for completion. I always call my best friend after I complete everything on my to-do list.

Student well-being is always the number one priority, but it is crucial to acknowledge that the better students’ mental health is, the better they perform academically. One study found that as elementary students’ mental health improved, so did their academics, and vice versa (Murphy et al., 2015).

Finally, it is crucial that students seek help when necessary. For South Carolina teens, one way to receive help is to participate in SC’s NAMI program. NAMI focuses on improving mental health nationally through a variety of programs. This past year approximately 77% of South Carolina youth experiencing depression did not receive treatment (View All Data 2023, n.d.). Through NAMI these students can accept the care they desperately need. They provide care through support groups, helplines, and information sessions. Last year, a SC NAMI spokesperson participated in a health convention I attended. They openly discussed their past experiences with mental illnesses, and ultimately inspired me to talk to my friends and family about my struggles. 

As students strategically choose their new pencil holder and clean out their old lunch boxes, it’s important to remember nothing is more important than the well-being of students. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, please consider reaching out to a local organization such as NAMI. 

Call the NAMI Helpline at

1-800-950-NAMI (6264)

Or in a crisis, text “NAMI” to 741741

References

How Sleep Deprivation Impacts Mental Health. (2022, March 16). Columbia University Department of Psychiatry; Columbia University. https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/news/how-sleep-deprivation-affects-your-mental-health

Murphy, J. M., Guzmán, J., McCarthy, A. E., Squicciarini, A. M., George, M., Canenguez, K. M., Dunn, E. C., Baer, L., Simonsohn, A., Smoller, J. W., & Jellinek, M. S. (2015). Mental Health Predicts Better Academic Outcomes: A Longitudinal Study of Elementary School Students in Chile. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 46(2), 245–256. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-014-0464-4

Steare, T., Gutiérrez Muñoz, C., Sullivan, A., & Lewis, G. (2023). The association between academic pressure and adolescent mental health problems: A systematic review. Journal of Affective Disorders, 339(0165-0327), 302–317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.07.028

View All Data 2023. (n.d.). Mental Health America. https://mhanational.org/issues/2023/mental-health-america-all-data