ABCs of Mental Health

School will always have stressful moments, regardless of your generation. But today’s students face psychological stressors that some research indicates can contribute to increased rates of mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. 

As students begin a new school year, it’s important to consider the ABCs of mental health along with reading, science, and math. Students often lack the skills and resources to manage their stress and address their psychological needs. An understanding of strategies to support mental health can help students build healthy behaviors and relationships, navigate social pressures, and manage stress.

According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), 50 percent of mental illness begins by age 14, and 75 percent by age 24. Some studies suggest that Gen Z students face an especially high risk of mental health disorders. Studies cite potential drivers of this increase  ranging from the effects of social media and technology to lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2018 survey by Pew Research Center showed that 70 percent of teens saw depression and anxiety as a “major problem” amongst their peers, above bullying and substance use.

The APA’s 2019 Stress in America survey found that “more than nine in 10 Gen Z adults (91 percent) said they have experienced at least one physical or emotional symptom because of stress, such as feeling depressed or sad (58 percent) or lacking interest, motivation or energy (55 percent). Only half of all Gen Zs feel like they do enough to manage their stress.”

One positive trend among Gen Z students appears to be an increased openness to speaking about mental health, addressing health through therapy, and seeking help when they need it. By reducing the stigma surrounding mental health disorders, young people may be better equipped to take steps to improve their health and support their peers. It’s also important to know when to seek additional external help. If you or a loved one are in search of mental health treatment, Skyland Trail delivers evidence-based, comprehensive care that gives those living with mental illness hope for recovery.

As students head back to school, we’ve created a list of the ‘ABCs’ of mental health. These are just a handful of strategies available to help students find balance during a busy and demanding school year.

A

Acceptance

Acceptance is a concept that seems easy to grasp, but is more difficult to enact in our lives when faced with unpleasant or stressful situations. The idea of acceptance is employed in various psychotherapies. Says James D. Herbert, psychologist and president of the University of New England,  “Fostering acceptance helps one achieve important behavior changes, such as overcoming depression or anxiety, coping with psychotic experiences, or sticking to a diet, which in turn may lead to an enhanced quality of life.”

Acceptance does not mean agreeing with or liking a situation. Acceptance does not mean giving up on overcoming adversity and stress, or remaining ‘stuck’ in ineffective ways of thinking or acting. Acceptance is a mindset that reduces stress surrounding the realities of life in the moment, especially when it comes to things that can’t easily be changed. 

For students, an example of acceptance could be accepting that a particular teacher is ineffective or doesn’t match their learning style. If the student can’t change it, fighting it or using it as an excuse may cause more harm than good. Acceptance allows the student to instead focus on actions within their control to work within an unfortunate situation. Can they get tutoring from another teacher, find resources online, or start a student study group? 

Therapies implemented at Skyland Trail, such as dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), teach concepts like radical acceptance to help clients acknowledge and accept their unique situation while working to get better.

B

Burnout

Many students face burnout due to demanding schedules and expectations. Burnout is the result of continued occupational stressors that build up to create a chronic state of mental exhaustion. 

Students can try different strategies to lessen the causes and effects of excessive stress and burnout. Maintaining healthy sleeping and eating habits and incorporating relaxing activities into their day can make a difference. Planning these activities into a set schedule can help prioritize self care and ensure that important activities that help you stay healthy don’t fall off your to do list.

University students may want to consider how many courses, extracurricular activities, and professional or family commitments they can realistically manage while balancing their physical and mental well being. 

Boundaries

For Gen Z students, setting both personal and interpersonal boundaries can help reduce stress. Personal boundaries could include limiting time on social media and screen devices, setting financial boundaries to limit financial stress, or considering other personal boundaries that help control behaviors that could be harmful to our health or barriers to achieving our goals. Interpersonal boundaries help keep relationships healthy. Poor boundaries in relationships can lead to additional stress or issues like codependence. An example of setting an interpersonal boundary may mean saying no to social invitations at times when you need to prioritize a school deadline or sleep.

C

Crisis Intervention

Being prepared with healthy options for action when facing a mental crisis can help students feel more in control and prevent situations from escalating. Psychotherapies like CBT, DBT and mindfulness-based therapies offer distress tolerance and crisis intervention techniques that can be used to navigate challenging emotions and situations. Distress tolerance skills could include breathing exercises, reframing negative thoughts, or using our physical senses to help calm our minds. Helping clients adopt and practice these skills is an important part of Skyland Trail treatment programs for adults and teens.

Community

Finding community alongside peers is one of the most important protective factors a young person can establish for themselves to strengthen their mental health. Social isolation takes an intense toll on young people, especially as communications are increasingly moving to a digital landscape. Caregivers, educators, and other adults can help by being open and available for students who need support or who seem to be struggling to find community. Adults and students should know when to connect a student who is struggling with a mental health professional. 

By improving community access to mental health support and building skills in young people to increase their resilience to stress, we can combat the increasing prevalence of mental illness in youth. Skyland Trail is dedicated to providing psychoeducational programming to the community that empowers people to take control of their health and live as stress-free as possible.