Since the pandemic started, experts have warned of a mental health crisis facing American children. That is now playing out at schools in the form of increased childhood depression, anxiety, panic attacks, eating disorders, fights, and thoughts of suicide at alarming levels, according to interviews with teachers, administrators, education officials, and mental health experts.
Mentally Healthy Schools and the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families have released two toolkits for children to help them focus on their mental health. With these toolkits, students and their pupils can learn to develop healthy habits around mental health and wellbeing that can continue all year long.
Each toolkit shares tools and activities full of simple wellbeing strategies that will help develop good mental health habits in children and young people for a happier, healthier 2022.
The toolkits also provide resources for teachers and school staff to assist them in discussing mental health with the students they serve.
Population of Focus: Youth
Links to Resources:
- Download the primary toolkit
- Download the secondary toolkit
- Read the article, With Students in Turmoil, US Teachers Train in Mental Health
- Read the guide, Treatment for Suicidal Ideation, Self-harm, and Suicide Attempts Among Youth
- Read the bulletin, Guidance to States and School Systems on Addressing Mental Health and Substance Use Issues in Schools
Date: 2022