LETTER: Mental health and the CCSD

As a student in the Clark County School District, I have witnessed the rise in the prevalence and severity of mental health issues among my peers. The most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that almost one in three Nevada high school students reported feeling depressed or hopeless nearly every day for two or more weeks in a row. Yet most classrooms continue to place little emphasis on mental health education.

Mental health concerns can impact students’ general health, social interactions and academic achievement. Half of all lifetime cases of mental illness start before the age of 14, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. If we want schools to prepare us for the future, they must teach us how to care for our minds, not just our test scores. Embracing comprehensive, age-appropriate mental health instruction would help mitigate stigma, promote early intervention and teach students about coping with stress and seeking help.

Clark County has taken some steps in the right direction by investing in more school-based mental health professionals. But more needs to be done. We need to learn why mental health matters and how to maintain it, just like we learn how to exercise or eat well in health class. We need access to assistance as part of the usual course of instruction. Mental health education is crucial. Schools should adopt this perspective.