Mental Health in Schools: We’re Doing it Wrong | Maya Dawson | TEDxYouth@CherryCreek

School counselors are a crucial resource for students, but their services are not accessible for all youth. We are not giving students the language they need to talk about their own mental health, which is keeping them from getting support until they are in crisis. By integrating conversation around mental health into core school curriculum schools will give their students the tools they need for self-advocacy and a healthier lifestyle. "Maya Dawson is a junior at Conifer High School. She fell in love with storytelling from stories around the dinner table growing up, and now shares her own stories and those of her peers through her school’s student paper. She has worked as a Global Youth Reporter with the Team Harmony Foundation and has been published in several papers. Her work focuses on social justice and the challenges faced by today’s youth. She hopes to pursue political science or journalism in college- whatever will best let her share the stories of those who are not being heard. When not writing, she runs, plays basketball, and cares for her pet Axolotl (Look up photos... they are fantastic creatures).
" This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

[@darajoyce5514]

exactly. schools prioritize giving more homework for "learning" rather than giving time for one's mental health, and it damages it even more because students have to constantly think about their activities that need to be done rather than focusing on their own selves at least once or twice a week.

[@debbiejordan1959]

Well said! Yes to mental health, the brain, emotions - integration into school core curriculum!

[@SamyTheSheep]

well communicated. i'd like to have heard more in the way of ideas for integrating mental health into the classroom. i felt there was more to say about what's not happening rather than actionable ideas for change.

[@pedromcartaxo]

Very nice idea...congrats! The school must change in many aspects...it's frozen for so long

[@Slickshadow11]

mental health everywhere..... we're doing it wrong

[@mphatsojohnson3020]

As a High School Senior thank you so much for saying this for us

[@jared_s2]

well spoken, and great delivery. i agree with what she said when she said that it's beneficial to write essays about how we feel. It helps us to understand it and even let negativity go. it's difficult for some people to discuss mental health because they are raised with low compassion or infrequent interaction, therefore being open minded and trying to understand people, even the really negative people, is important in battling the droves of declining mental and emotional positivity.

[@billwong6077]

I am an occupational therapist by trade. I truly believe OT practitioners can be part of the solution here. The thing is- many people in the general public don't know that occupational therapy practitioners have trainings in mental health, as well as having mental health as part of their education.

[@tammyrhines]

Tell me more. I assumed OT was in nursing facilities, private venue. I like the idea because it supports students without saying they have MH issues.

[@daytonmoyer8262]

I wished my school had some one that we could talked about are mental health.

[@Testing-123]

Brain surgeons cannot even say how the brain works with any level of certainty. Expecting classroom teachers to have any level of success in the outcome of a student with a neurological disorder is a tall order to say the least. It will take the APA to start diagnosing minors with serious disorders (such as personality disorders) instead of protecting their feelings until they are 18 to 21 years old. By then, much damage could have already been done. Not telling someone what their true diagnosis is, (imho) doesn't help or cure anyone. Thanks for the video

[@Noyb55]

I think they could teach about mental health period . Instead of just going to a Counseler they should all talk about it . They will see they are more alike than they are different.

[@jared8783]

You don't have to diagnose neurological disorders to teach about things like depression, anxiety, stress, happiness, jealousy, etc. In public schools I remember being taught about many diseases that my teacher was not diagnosing in anyone. Such as lung cancer.

[@Testing-123]

​@@jared8783 If a student has a mental disorder, such as sociopathy or psychopathy, would it benefit them to know it when they are 14, or should they simply continue under the impression that they are "autistic"? Many times, young students are diagnosed as autistic or having "oppositional defiance disorder" only to find out later that they are schizophrenic, or bipolar. I say, the sooner they know who they are, the better.

[@jared8783]

So I see the video is a year old. It sucks to hear someone say that schools still don't hardly teach us about mental health. I also think it's crucial that schools teach what verbal and mental abuse is. Are there any statewide or nationwide requriements for classroom teaching about mental health? What can we do to make it a requriement? Petition some legislators who we think are likely to agree??

[@anamairazapata6306]

Elizabeth Kluber Ross once said “ I’m not okay, you are not okay, but that’s okay”

[@anamairazapata6306]

Kids now a days want to be adults so bad but they can not handle it

[@izuku_midorya_bakudeku]

I wish school actually teached us that instead of teaching me abote thermal energy 4:09

[@onelunar1]

Any parents interested in a dictionary with the best definitions and video of each definition with picture examples

[@jaynnehallstrom3371]

Sorry that has been your experience but School Counselors are typically not viewed as scary, I have never heard of that and ALL students have access to us and we do way more than you know, obviously--this was a good idea overall but not totally accurate with most schools.

[@user-kr4yu6kx1l]

Yeah, personally I think my school counselors are dumber than me in analyzing complex mental health issues and the way they respond to it is like all the general stuff everyone knows being repeated, they break the basic rules of handling people with depression and anxiety, I don't trust them one bit to counsel, incompetent and has no passion is what I think of them

[@drkarenbukharibukhari9931]

Itstruehenarenotlistenedonchildhelplineuk

[@drkarenbukharibukhari9931]

Isaw,sndtreated,childrenmaltrestesboutnotgettinggoof,200percent🎉

[@emilyl6746]

This makes no sense. Schools were never designed to be mental healh facilities. Teachers are not mental health professionals. If you chose to be a parent, it is YOUR job to address whatever mental health issues your kids has. You do not dump your kid's problems on the public school system. This only kicks the can further down the line.

[@tammyrhines]

Because it is a easy way to fund programs we don;t even have.

[@Limerant_Evangeline]

Some parents can’t provide mental health advice. A lot of parents don’t believe in mental health issues. A lot of parents aren’t comfortable enough to their kids to be opened up to. The schools are causing a lot of these stressers and depressers. Now THEY need to fix it.

[@medicomuslimahdr]

Schools are bigger ones to play role bcz the way thy treat child with mental health illness it's horrible and terrifying.thy don't even know wht Mental health is .totally imp to spread mental health awareness in schools especially.bcz my sister went into clinical depression bcz of of school teachers. Now under treatment

[@trisatofung7421]

​@@Limerant_Evangelinethis is so true, i told my mother that i have severe anxiety and she just told me stop lying your just a teenager

[@forreal8014]

@@trisatofung7421hi, i used to have similar issues as well. I began to search and do something about it for myself, you can do it too. I changed drinking water instead of sodas or energy drinks, I walk or sometimes running for half of an hour. You can choose any sports to play, for me I practice tai chi. oh, don’t eat junk foods because it increase anxieties. Good luck! YCDI.