Addressing the Crisis in Student Mental Health

With the growing crisis in adolescent mental health, it’s more important than ever for schools to identify struggling students and provide services for those in need. More than 10 million adolescents ages 13–18 are in need of professional help to address a mental health concern, while 70% of teens now see anxiety and depression as a major problem among their peers.

Our new white paper, Addressing the Crisis in Student Mental Health: How Districts Can Identify and Support Struggling Students, aims to help schools and districts respond to the increasing need for student mental health support. This white paper highlights some of the research citing the mental health concerns students face and offers comprehensive solutions for districts and schools to identify and support struggling students.

Here’s what you can expect to learn from this free white paper:

1. Anxiety, depression, and suicide are on the rise
   With all of the pressures students experience every day, anxiety and depression are on the rise. This often causes students to engage in high-risk behaviors such as substance abuse, sex, violence, self-harm, and suicide—which is the second-leading cause of death among 10- to 19-year-olds in the U.S.
   
   
2. The primary causes of mental health struggles in students
   A wide variety of situational factors and experiences cause students to struggle with their mental health, but academic pressure and social media are two of the leading stresses in modern teens’ lives. Students are also experiencing an increase in childhood traumatic stress—both at home and school—and trauma caused by the COVID-19 pandemic will likely cause a further increase in traumatic stress in coming years.
   
   
3. Creating more services to support student mental health
   There are many pathways to creating more support services for student mental health concerns. Funding and grants for student mental health services are available to schools in need of greater financial support. This can help schools offer more professional help directly to students, who may not have access to private mental health services. Furthermore, social and emotional learning (SEL) and community involvement can act as preventative measures, addressing student mental health before students are struggling.
   
   
4. How Gaggle can help identify struggling students
   Schools are searching for ways to protect students from harm and identify those who need additional support. In the 2019–20 school year alone, Gaggle discovered almost 64,000 references to suicide or self-harm and intervened in more than 5,600 cases of possible suicide or self-harm. With Gaggle’s student safety management solution, schools are able to identify struggling students, intervene in potentially harmful situations, and address ongoing mental health concerns.
   
   
5. Using Gaggle Therapy to address student mental health concerns
   Gaggle Therapy partners school districts with mental health professionals who stand ready to support your students. Using Gaggle safety management to identify those who are struggling, districts can offer therapy services to students in need. There are no out-of-pocket costs for students to use Gaggle Therapy, making mental health services available to those who may not have access otherwise.
   

To learn more about the crisis in student mental health and how to identify and support struggling students, download your free copy of the white paper.