Alison Jin for EdSource
Depression and anxiety have increased among young people in recent years.
Alison Jin for EdSource
Depression and anxiety have increased among young people in recent years.
For many young people, the massacre on Tuesday at a Texas elementary school could not have come at a worse time. Emotional scars remain from the pandemic, and schools close during the summer, cutting students off from their routines and access to on-campus mental health services.
But in a way, students and schools are better prepared than ever to deal with tragedies like the one at Rob Elementary School. Investing in the mental health of young people in California is at its peak of all time, and the relentless focus of some schools on emotional health has reduced stigma and led to a multitude of mental health options that did not exist a few years ago.
“Schools have been so focused on how we can support each other’s mental health,” said Melissa Wood, a school psychologist at the Kern County Special Education Consortium. “There is still a lot of work to be done, but I think we are on the right track.
Tuesday’s shooting, in which a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas, came less than two weeks after a shooting at a Buffalo store in New York City killed 10 people. Tragedies occur at the end of a difficult year for students and school staff as they struggle with learning loss and behavioral and emotional challenges related to the pandemic. While some students survived the pandemic with little difficulty, others lost their loved ones to Covid, saw their parents lose their jobs or became seriously ill, and struggled intensely with long-distance schoolwork or caring for younger siblings.
Back problems can lead to some children experiencing “complex trauma,” which can have longer-lasting and more serious effects on children’s well-being than a single traumatic event, according to the National Traumatic Stress Network for Children. Prolonged “fight or flight” reactions can affect children’s ability to learn, form attachments, regulate behavior, and make decisions. Complex traumas can also affect the physical health of children in adulthood, which leads to a higher risk of heart disease and cancer.
“The complex trauma is real. It can literally shape a child’s development, “said Chris Williams, director of school mental health and good health at the Sacramento Office of Education. “The higher your score (harmful childhood experiences), the more likely you are to have harmful effects.
Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, a former general surgeon in California, made the trauma of her childhood the cornerstone of her work. She encouraged schools to examine students for trauma, provide abundant counseling services, and teach social and emotional skills in the classroom.
Since the pandemic, Governor Gavin News and the legislature have invested millions in the mental health of young people, on school campuses, in the health care system and in the community. The state encouraged counties to open on-campus mental health clinics and wellness centers, contract with local therapy clinics, hire more counselors, invest in socio-emotional learning, train teachers to recognize signs of trauma, start peer counseling programs, and take other steps to help students cope with depression and anxiety.
The Sacramento County Education Office recently teamed up with the county public health department to bring mental health clinicians to every school in the county, adding to existing school counseling staff. Other counties and counties have taken similar steps to simplify the links between schools and public health departments so that students can get access to free mental health care whenever they need it.
Such day-to-day systemic changes are necessary if schools are to see long-term improvements in students’ emotional well-being, Williams said. Responding to incidents such as school shootings is important, he said, but students’ mental health should be a constant priority.
“We need to move away from the idea of ’curing’ mental health,” he said. “Trauma is not an isolated incident. The school shooting is a terrible event, period, but it’s just one thing students may be facing.”
Parents, teachers and other adults can do a lot to help children process trauma, Wood said. Play and art can help younger children get through feelings of sadness, fear or confusion. Older students can learn healthy, non-destructive ways to behave, such as talking to trusted friends or adults, exercising, writing in a diary, doing artwork, staying alone, or going to a safe place and dropping off money.
Wood encouraged parents to use the summer months to slow down and relax with their children.
“Make the most of every opportunity you have with your children,” she said. “Put the phone down. Spend time with them one on one. This will strengthen their bond with you. I mean collectively, we all need more than that. ”
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