For Schools
Why should you be concerned about student mental health?
Mental health conditions are prevalent in schools nationwide. Of US adolescents aged 13-18, 31.9% meet diagnostic criteria for anxiety and 14.3% meet diagnostic criteria for a mood disorder.1 In an average North Carolina public high school of 1,088, this amounts to 347 with anxiety and 156 with a mood disorder, and many other students are missed. By age 18, around 1 in 5 students have a diagnosable mental health condition that impairs their ability to meet their potential.1
This graphic represents the average number of students diagnosed with a mental health condition by senior year in an average school of 1,088 students.
Stigma and misconceptions are still highly prevalent in youth, especially for lesser-understood disorders. Stigma can prevent youth from seeking help and accessing treatment and can exacerbate harm.2–5 This is one of the many reasons why the National Association of State Boards of Education, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and the National Association of School Psychologists argue that mental health education is critical and recommend delivery by a community organization such as ourselves.*
*Note: While NASBE, NASSP, and NASP argue that schools should incorporate programs such as ours, this does not represent an official endorsement of our specific organization.
All schools likely have students with undetected mental health problems. Despite the need for intervention at this stage, most adolescent mental health concerns go unidentified and untreated.8,9
High school is a critical time for intervention. Half of all mental health conditions begin by age 14,1,10 and in their onset, these conditions tend to be mild to moderate in severity and respond well to interventions.11–13 It is vital to respond early to prevent or reduce the years of harm that these conditions, if unaddressed, may cause.14
Why should you be concerned about student use of drugs beyond alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana?
Illicit drug use causes significant harm. The three leading causes of death in 15-24 year olds are unintentional injuries (including motor vehicle accidents), suicide, and homicide.15 Illicit drug use contributes significantly to all of these.16 It also can lead to a plethora of other negative health and social effects.
Figure courtesy of the NC Center for Health Statistics
Illicit drug use is widespread in schools. In 2019, 6.5% of 8th graders, 9.1% of 10th graders, and 11.5% of 12th graders reported current use of illicit drugs beyond alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana.17 By the time they graduate from high school, almost one in five students report having used these substances.17
The problem becomes more severe as students enter the world. An estimated 23.2% of 18 to 25 year olds report current drug use.18 Rates of drug use also increase significantly just following high school graduation as students experience new freedoms, and even previous non-users are often initiated within the few years following graduation.19 If these students experience near-peer education from young adults while in high school, they may be less susceptible once they become young adults themselves.
How can your students benefit from the TEACH Initiative?
- Our curricula on mental health and substance use are designed to target and eliminate common knowledge gaps in youth.
- Students will not only be encouraged to seek help for themselves or others, but they will be taught exactly how to reach out and what specific resources are available, at low cost, in their immediate area.
- Our focus on fighting stigma and increasing awareness will encourage discussions around these issues and increase the likelihood that students will reach out, decreasing the extent to which mental illness and substance use cause harm to your students.
- This effort is backed by research – a variety of studies have suggested that educational interventions can help reduce stigma and misinformation surrounding both mental health14,20–22 and substance use.23–25
Interested in bringing near-peer education to your students? Please visit our Program Specifics page for more information and check out our Advisory Board, then contact us via email, phone (240-274-3525), or our Contact Us page!