Students as young as kindergarteners (pictured above) will learn about mental health in the classroom in accordance with recent New York State law. Mandated mental health education should be adopted across the country.
The state of New York enacted a law on July 1 that would make mental health education classes mandatory for students in grades K-12. New York is the first state to take this critical step toward destigmatizing mental illness for all ages, but other states should take note.
While some may see mental health education as something silly that takes time away from core subjects, these long overdue mandatory classes may be lifesaving.
As many as one out of every five American adults experience some type of mental illness within their lifetime, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Half of all these chronic mental disorders that affect millions of lives begin by age 14, the NAMI said.
With numbers like these, it’s clear schools should have taught proper mental healthcare all along. Perhaps if they had been, the stigma surrounding mental illness wouldn’t exist and treatment would be more accessible for people who need it.
New York’s State Education Commissioner Mary Ellen Elia underscored the importance of destigmatizing mental health to create better responses, according to NBC News.
“When young people learn about mental health and that it is an important aspect of overall health and well-being, the likelihood increases they will be able to effectively recognize signs and symptoms in themselves and others and will know where to turn for help,” Elia said. “It will decrease the stigma that attaches to help-seeking,”
Considering this innovative law is the first of its kind, those who are still wary of it worry the state will have difficulty practically applying it in schools. Luckily, the wording of the law itself outlines some ways to smoothly implement it.
The New York Mental Health Education Advisory Council—specifically created to assist schools in integrating mental health into curricula—published nine core elements they wish to see in mental health education.
These guidelines emphasize ideas such as the place that mental health holds in general notions of wellness, how to detect mental health issues earlier and the relevant institutions or individuals that can help students handle mental health issues, according to NBC News.
With these core elements available to the public, other states can use them to create their own mental health education programs. These states should implement similar programs to help children avoid all too prevalent mental health crises.
“According to the CDC, the suicide rate among boys ages 15 to 19 increased by nearly a third between 2007 and 2015,” Christine Vestal said in an article for HuffPost. “The suicide rate among girls the same age more than doubled.”
Growing up with access to abundant mental health education has the potential to help children and teens understand their suicidal tendencies and feel comfortable reaching out for help. At the end of the day, this kind of education can prevent so many avoidable tragedies.
Director of Public Policy for the Mental Health Association of New York State John Richter felt that the policy could properly highlight the importance of mental healthcare, according to NBC News.
“The goal is to change the way educators, students and, ultimately everyone talks about mental health,” Richter said. “We want people to get the message that your mental health is just as important as your physical health.”
Despite the years of mental health’s stigmatization, educating children on this topic throughout their basic schooling could begin to change things. Kids will grow into adults with an awareness for their mental health; hopefully, the fear of seeking help will dissipate.
It’s up to the rest of the country to catch up now. Once the success of New York’s program—and a smaller version in Virginia—is fully realized, other states will adopt similar laws. With any luck, each state can take steps to promote mental health education and to destigmatize conversations about mental illness.