Addressing the Youth Mental Health Crisis Through Equitable School-Based Services
By Kayla Tawa
Young people are experiencing a mental health crisis, with the U.S. Surgeon General, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Children’s Hospital Association all recognizing the severity. Bolstering school-based mental health is one key strategy for addressing this crisis.
All students can learn—even as they develop their academic skills—how to understand their emotions, show empathy to others, and develop decision-making skills. Addressing student wellbeing is critical, as these skills are useful and relevant to young people’s everyday lives and will serve them in the long term. Further, students are better able to learn when schools attend to their mental wellbeing.
This fact sheet discusses the importance and effectiveness of providing school-based health services—especially for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disabled young people.