Mental health, education, and the role of schools.

The influence of mental health, including emotional, psychological, and social well-being, on educational achievement is referred to as "mental health in education." As a result of poor mental health, students' academic and social achievement at school may suffer. Accordingly, the following will discuss 1) the impact of common disorders on students' performance, 2) the ways to prevent it, and 3) the ways to increase a sense of belonging among students.

a. Common disorders' impact on student performance

Mental disorders can affect classroom learning. Poor attendance, challenges with academic progress, poor social integration, difficulty adapting to the school environment, problems with behavior control, and attention and concentration issues can all have an impact on classroom learning, all of which are crucial to a student's success. Students in high school who test positive for psychosocial dysfunction have three times the number of missing and tardy days as kids who do not test positive for dysfunction. As a result, dropout rates are substantially greater, and total academic success is worse. For example, just 40% of kids with emotional, behavioral, and mental health impairments graduate from high school in the United States, compared to the national average of 76 percent. Several of these problems may also cause students to prioritize their academics over their health, causing their health to deteriorate even more (Beresin et al. 2017).

• Anxiety

Students with anxiety disorders are statistically less likely than those without to attend college, and those with social phobias are twice as likely to fail a semester or drop out of high school as kids who have never had the illness. Because the symptoms of anxiety disorders are internalized, they are more difficult to identify than disruptive behavior disorders such as ADHD. Anxiety can emerge as recurring anxieties and worries about mundane aspects of daily life, such as avoiding activities, school, or social contacts, and it can impair one's ability to focus and learn. Moreover, anxiety problems might inhibit kids from seeking or developing social relationships, thus impacting students' sense of belonging and, as a result, their school experience and academic achievement. Those who suffer from anxiety frequently have distinct personalities. Anxious people have regular anxieties and fears about ordinary circumstances. Anxiety is also defined as a quick sense of acute fear or horror that can peak in minutes. These anxiety symptoms often appear throughout infancy or adolescence and may last into maturity. Feeling nervous, restless, or tense; having a sense of impending danger, panic, or doom; having an increased heart rate; breathing rapidly; sweating; trembling; feeling weak or tired; having difficulty concentrating or thinking about anything other than the current worry; having difficulty sleeping; experiencing gastrointestinal problems; or having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety are some examples of symptoms. Agoraphobia, anxiety disorder caused by a medical condition, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, selective mutism, separation anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobias, substance-induced anxiety disorder, and so on are all examples of anxiety disorders.

• Depression

Depression can cause students to struggle in class, from finishing assignments to going at all. In 2020, nearly 13% of kids aged 12 to 17 experienced one major depressive episode (MDE) compared to the previous year, with an alarming 70% going untreated. "High depression scores have been associated with low academic achievement, high scholastic anxiety, increased school suspensions, and a decreased ability or desire to complete homework, concentrate, and attend classes," according to the National Center for Mental Health Checkups at Columbia University (2020). Depression symptoms can make it difficult for students to keep up with course loads or even find the stamina to complete the entire school day. Depression is a medical disorder that harms how you feel, think, and act. The good news is that depression can be treated. Depression is characterized by feelings of melancholy or a loss of interest in previously appreciated activities. This can subsequently lead to a variety of mental and physical issues. This can also impair one's capacity to perform both within and outside the home. Feeling sad, a lack of interest, changes in appetite, problems sleeping, a loss of energy, an increase in purposeless physical activity, feeling worthless, and difficulty thinking, focusing, or making decisions are all signs of depression. To be diagnosed with depression, these symptoms must typically endure for two weeks and reflect a change in functioning.

• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Attention deficits are the most common predictors of poor academic performance. Students with ADHD sometimes struggle to master skills and practices required by the public school system in the United States, such as the capacity to quietly sit still or devote oneself to one concentrated task for lengthy periods. Students with ADHD may struggle with focusing, filtering out distracting external stimuli, and seeing huge activities through to completion. These students may also have difficulty with time management and organization. ADHD is an abbreviation for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. This is one of the most frequent mental problems in children, but it also affects many adults. Other symptoms include not paying attention to details and making thoughtless mistakes, difficulty keeping focused on activities, an inability to be perceived as listening, difficulties organizing, avoiding duties, and forgetting everyday responsibilities.

b. Prevention

Schools may need to acknowledge that they are more than simply an institution; they are meant to help shape students' lives and allow them to engage meaningfully in the social component of this environment. Psychologically, this can overwhelm the intellectual side, although it is generally overlooked. Sports, faculty-student interactions, clubs, and other social activities are essential to ensuring that no student is stuck in "social limbo" year after year. The stresses of school, extracurricular activities, employment, and relationships with friends and family can be difficult to manage and can be overwhelming at times. To keep these overpowering sensations from becoming a mental health concern, it is critical to take steps to keep them from growing. School-based programs that assist kids with emotional regulation, stress management, conflict resolution, active coping, and cognitive restructuring are a few examples of services that can benefit students' mental health (Mental Health Commission, 2012). To ensure their kids' future success, educators must devote as much attention to their well-being as they do to their academic performance. If instructors are aware of a student who is struggling with their mental health, they may help that kid get the treatment they need. According to the research, students who get social-emotional and mental health services have a better likelihood of achieving academic success. Because most children spend a significant amount of their day at school—around 6 hours per day—schools are an ideal location for students to obtain the services they require. When kids' and instructors' mental health is neglected, it can lead to problems with attention. This reduces the potential for all students to receive the comprehensive education they deserve. According to a 2019 article on school social workers in the US, the field of school social workers is expanding. There were only roughly 9,000 social workers in schools in 1996. This figure had risen to between 20,000 and 22,000 social workers. According to the United States Department of Labor and Bureau of Labor Statistics (2019), the profession is expected to rise from 2016 to 2026 due to an increase in the need for mental health services in schools.

c. Belonging

Belonging to the school environment may be one of the most essential and relevant variables influencing children's academic achievement. School-related stress and an increase in academic expectations may exacerbate school-related stress, resulting in poor academic performance. The lack of social acceptance has been found to contribute to poorer interest and engagement because students struggle to maintain involvement in circumstances where they do not feel respected and accepted. The sense of belonging acts as a buffer between students and depressive symptoms, as well as reducing anxiety at school. Additional aspects of not belonging that might impact kids' feelings of belonging include not being represented racially, ethnically, or as a first-generation student in schools. Bullying is a problem in today's culture that can occur at school or even in class. Bullying may lead to problems for students such as drug dependency, physical injury, and a drop in academic performance. According to the NASP (2015), a large majority of people in the US, around 70%–80%, have encountered bullying throughout their school years, in which the student might have been the aggressor, the victim, or even a witness. NASP supports advising principals on how to handle these difficulties as well as offering information on relevant programs for school employees to understand how to recognize this as an issue and what to do to remedy it.

The reviewed literature explored the influence of specific prevalent diseases on student performance. It also demonstrated how schools might help mitigate these consequences and boost students' sense of belonging. There are many more mental problems, personality disorders, mental challenges, and mental struggles that have a severe influence on students' academic performance and, if not handled appropriately, can have an impact on a person's life path.

Not all wounds and difficulties are visible to the naked eye. It is past time for schools to begin understanding things differently and, as a result, transform the way they respond to and manage such circumstances.

P.S.: The focus was on the United States' data due to its availability. However, the study does not depict that the problem only relates to the US, as it is a global problem that should be considered a global priority.