Emotional Well-being is Critical to Success in School
When a child is too stressed, depressed or distracted to focus, the opportunities to learn are greatly diminished. From bullying to discrimination to family troubles, there are many factors that can chip away at a young person’s self-confidence and ability to cope with the social and academic demands of school. “Mental health is not something you can see physically most of the time. It’s something that is really hard to identify,” said Dawn Anderson, Director of VCOE’s department of Comprehensive Health and Prevention Programs. She adds that, “A lot of parents or teachers may think of it as just teens acting out. They’re depressed but it’s not really depression. They’re just going through a mood swing. They don’t ever acknowledge that it could be a true mental health issue.”
The biennial California Healthy Kids Survey provides a window into the mental state of Ventura County kids. It shows a slight but steady increase in the number of ninth and eleventh graders who report feeling sad or hopeless.
Fortunately, free help is available for young people who are struggling with emotional issues. Your local school district office can provide assistance in times of need and the following resources are available to everyone:
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