unmuted

Mental Health ✴︎ 11.19.2025

Josefina Pacheco

The importance of mental health support in school areas.

Used to support the idea (Photo by getty images via unsplash)

When I was in 10th grade, one of my best friends suddenly stopped coming to school. We were all worried because she didn’t answer our calls or messages, and we had no idea what was happening. Four months later, she finally responded and told me she had been hospitalized in a psychiatric clinic after experiencing a manic episode. Before this happened, she had tried multiple times to seek help from the school counselor, but they ignored her because she had already been diagnosed with depression back in 7th grade. This made me realize how essential strong mental health programs are within school environments

Why Student Mental Health Matters

Mental health issues deeply affect students’ lives and futures. As Girolimon from Southern New Hampshire University explains, “In addition to the impact that mental health has on your day-to-day life, serious mental health issues can affect your relationships, career, education and long-term goals.” Many young people face these challenges without adequate support.

Even though society is paying more attention to mental health, it is still not fully developed or implemented in schools. According to the CDC, in 2023 nearly 10 million children between ages 3 and 17 struggled with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and behavioral problems. Without proper support, many turn to drugs or other harmful coping mechanisms. These struggles may be caused by genetics, trauma, or environmental factors, which makes early intervention even more important.

The Cleveland Clinic highlights that “The first step toward overall well-being is becoming aware of your mental health and then talking about it with your healthcare provider.” Schools have the potential to help students develop this awareness, but only if proper systems are in place.

How Schools Can Support Students More Effectively

Schools play a crucial role in shaping not only academic development but emotional well-being. The Mental Health Action Guide states that “Schools that promote student mental health and well-being can improve classroom behavior, school engagement, and peer relationships. These factors are all connected to academic success.” This shows why mental health programs aren’t optional—they are essential.

One way to improve support is to properly train school counselors on how to respond when a student is struggling. Teachers should also be trained to recognize behaviors that signal emotional distress. Social media platforms like TikTok provide an example of how these support systems can work: when users search triggering terms like “suicide” or “depression,” the app does not show harmful content but instead displays messages like “You’re not alone” and provides resources for help. If similar systems were implemented in schools, students would have quicker access to the support they need. 

There are already helpful tools available, such as the Calm app for stress relief and Happify, which encourages users to improve mental health through positive habits. However, they are not widely recognized, and many students do not know they exist. Schools could play a key role in promoting and guiding students toward these resources.

[Visual representation (Photo of tiktok, 2025)] 

Training teachers and other adults who work with children is essential. They must be able to offer support directly or guide students to the correct resources when professional help is needed. Creating this network of informed adults could help prevent situations like the one my friend experienced.

A Call to Action

Mental health can shape a student’s future, relationships, and opportunities. My friend’s experience opened my eyes to the urgent need for mental health programs in schools. With proper training, resources, and awareness, schools can become safe spaces where students receive real support before reaching a crisis point. The question we must ask is: If schools have the power to change these outcomes, why aren’t we doing more?

Work cited:

Girolimon, Mars. “Why Is Mental Health Important?” Southern New Hampshire University, 26 June 2025, www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/education/why-is-mental-health-important.

Plumptre, Elizabeth. “The Importance of Mental Health.” Verywell Mind, updated 9 Nov. 2025, www.verywellmind.com/the-importance-of-mental-health-for-wellbeing-5207938.

“Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Put Your Mental Health on the Backburner.” Cleveland Clinic, 5 Jan. 2024, health.clevelandclinic.org/why-mental-health-is-so-important.

“Promoting Mental Health and Well-Being in Schools.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 3 Dec. 2024, www.cdc.gov/mental-health-action-guide/about/index.html.