This aligns with a broader societal shift towards understanding and addressing mental health concerns and the recognition that mental health is a crucial component of overall well-being. Acknowledging signs of mental distress in academic performance and behavior, and adopting supportive rather than punitive measures in response, can help cultivate an environment that prioritizes student well-being. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds may experience higher levels of stress and adversity and have limited access to mental health resources.
Overcoming mental health challenges in higher education: a narrative review
Using all the levers available to schools to promote mental health is required, including approaches that engage a school’s social mechanisms to promote connectedness and belonging (49). Sustainable implementation of mental health promotion in schools will require investment by governments in school communities to equip them with the resources they need to actively engage in whole-school approaches (50, 51). The third conceptualization of comprehensive, embodied within FRESH and also within Health-promoting Schools, views comprehensive school health as an approach or framework for addressing health, including mental health, in a planned, integrated, and holistic approach while aiming to improve students’ educational outcomes (17). The universal approach appears to have been widely interpreted as reflecting aspects of school curricula (e.g., individual student-focused approaches to developing skills-based health education) and extra-curricular activities for students, together with efforts to promote the establishment of healthy school environments.
Mental Health in College Populations: A Multidisciplinary Review of What Works, Evidence Gaps, and Paths Forward
Although we conducted interviews with participants sampled from only two high schools, we triangulated data from five different community member types (students, parents, school administrators, teachers, mental health providers) to generate our themes (Eiraldi et al., 2015). RQA is a method of rigorously and efficiently analyzing qualitative data needed to address immediate and/or pressing issues, including health equity issues, such as the timely adaptation of an evidence-based intervention for racially/ethnically diverse schools (St. George et al., 2023). Most students in this study were engaged in after-school activities (e.g., clubs related to improving school mental health, team sports) and well-regarded by the school community. Overall, despite efforts to translate evidence-based interventions for internalizing concerns to the school setting, important considerations such as the attitudes, preferences, and lived experiences of key members of the school community may not be systematically incorporated as interventions are adapted for a new context. Indeed, the utilization of school-based mental health services has been shown to be more equitable across racial and ethnic groups compared to community settings (Kataoka et al., 2007). As adolescents spend much of their time in school and typically attend the same https://www.thecommunityguide.org/findings/mental-health-multi-tiered-trauma-informed-school-programs-improve-mental-health-among-youth.html school over a number of years, school-based interventions have become increasingly prevalent and effective for providing support to students with elevated symptoms of anxiety and depression (Feiss et al., 2019).
Factors that impact students’ well-being and academic performance include academic pressure, financial stress, lack of social support, isolation, trauma, lack of inclusive practices, and pandemic-related stressors. A more evidence-informed approach is needed to address the growing challenges of student mental health in higher education. The review is organized around a socioecological framework, considering interventions at the individual, interpersonal, community, institutional, and public policy levels. The mental health of students has become one of the top concerns in higher education. Although numerous programs are available, identifying evidence-based and effective options is a significant challenge.
Extracurricular sport participation (such as sports, dance, and martial arts) could foster perceived self-efficacy, self-esteem, improve mental health status 200–203, and reduce emotional problems and depressive symptoms . Several cross-sectional studies have synthesized evidence on the positive effects of leisure-time physical activity against student depression, anxiety, stress, and psychological distress 193–199. Training of interpersonal skills among secondary school students with depressive symptoms appeared to be effective in decreasing adolescent internalizing and externalizing symptoms . Longitudinal studies demonstrated that high intimacy levels between students and teachers were correlated with reduced emotional symptoms and increased life-satisfaction among students .
- Furthermore, schools could track referral rates to mental health services, participation rates in mental health programs, and changes in student well-being indicators such as attendance rates, academic performance, and behavioral issues.
- We also chose to define SBMHS in this paper as the collaboration of at least two actors, with schools being one and health care or social services the other one.
- A child’s development is influenced by various environments, including the family, school, and community.
- This study showed the critical role of collective interactions, which were very different from a dialogue between two individuals (Seikkula and Arnkil, 2006).
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