Thailand
Students’ mental health has become a very critical issue in the past few decades with increasing academic pressure and the societal expectation that has changed the whole observation of a child mentally will be altering the communication from the digital world students face a very significant challenge in their upbringing and development.
Students in their academic journey are often overshadowed by the pressure to excel within and meet the ever growing expectation from the society which makes them struggle not only academically but also socially and emotionally.
Their creative decision making and their ability to form relationships are adversely affected due to this disengagement and long term physiological challenges that they face because of societal norms and constant pressure.
By understanding and addressing the problems related to students’ mental health, parents, educators and institutions can create a supportive environment for them by recognising these signs of early distress and navigating the complexities from their personal life and academic lives.
We have already been discussing children’s mental health, so now let’s learn about student’s mental health and how it affects their academic, emotional, and personal life.
Contents
- What is Student Mental Health?
- Why is Mental Health Important for Students?
- Mental Health Issues of Students
- How Mental Health Affects Students
- Factors Affecting Student Mental Health
- Signs and Symptoms of Poor Mental Health in Students:
- Strategies to Support Student Mental Health
- Role of Stakeholders in Supporting Student Mental Health
- Challenges in Addressing Student Mental Health
- Mental Health Activities for Students
- Conclusion
What is Student Mental Health?
Students’ mental health refers to the emotional psychological and social well being of a student in their entire educational journey which passes their ability to manage stress, make relationships, take decisions and cope with the challenges effectively.
Positive mental health impacts students in a very positive way by empowering them to achieve their full academic potential and maintain a healthy lifestyle striking a balance between personal and academic life.
When mental health is neglected in students it often creates an issue in them from the emotional perspective creating distress, poor academic performance, disengagement and even results in long term psychological disorders.
Therefore it is very important for parents and for institutions to understand that addressing mental health among students is the top priority.
Why is Mental Health Important for Students?
Mental health plays a very important role in a student’s life while creating the foundation for them creating the ability to learn, grow and thrive in their academic journey.
It is very important to understand that it affects their academic success:
A good mental health student maintains their focus in studies and fosters creativity in them, equipping them with all the essential skills like problem solving and analytical skills, critical thinking and they can also improve time management.
Similarly mental health also affects students’ social development by building their emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills allowing them to build their own positive relationship with fellow classmates and the mentors they are provided in the institutions.
When a student faces failure, good mental health helps them in coping with stress and building resilience and equipping them with all the tools that they need to navigate through the challenges of life.
Students often face stress from academy financial issues and societal pressure around them because of which it is important for them to prioritize their mental health which will help them in bouncing back enabling life long adaptability in them.
When students are developing all these skills at an early age they are very vulnerable to situations where early intervention and healthy habits can reduce the risk of long term issues in students like anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHD and others.
Mental Health Issues of Students
Students can face a very wide range of mental health issues at a very early stage changing from anxiety disorder where there are certain factors like test anxiety, social anxiety and some generalised form of anxiety that they face due to overwhelming responsibilities and situations that they are not handling well.
In such situations it is very important for students to communicate their problems and for parents and educators to have a proactive approach to save themselves from some severe consequences.
Students often face the persistent feeling of sadness, low motivation and hopelessness which is caused by academic stress and personal struggles, this issue in common terms is known as depression.
The situation of chronic stress from studies, extra curricular activities and the part time jobs that they take in order to succeed in life leads to physical and mental exhaustion making the situation more vulnerable and feeling burn out.
Young students who are in the developing age are very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle but due to body image issues and peer pressure they often develop eating disorders which lead to unhealthy eating habits and these often result in strained relationships, academic failure and thoughts of self harm.
How Mental Health Affects Students
1. Lower Academic Performance and Focus
Poor mental health creates problems like stress and anxiety and depression which often in most cases impacts the students ability to concentrate in studies and their power to retain information which disturbs them to perform well academically.
The struggle that a student faces results in missed deadlines, lower grades, academic disengagement and many such issues.
They lack academic validation that they are working on which leads to lack of motivation and confidence in them.
2. Impacts on Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Decision-Making
A student with poor mental health has limited abilities.
A student’s ability to think creatively and make decisions is often hindered by poor mental health, it also restricts their cognitive abilities.
Students experiencing emotional distress often struggle to solve problems and think critically under pressure which ultimately impacts their overall performance and makes them self conscious.
3. Difficulty Forming Social Relationships
Metal health issues often lead to withdrawal from social situations for students making it difficult for them to form social relationships.
There is a constant feeling of isolation and loneliness in students where they struggle to make friends and communicate freely in a public place, this also restricts them to participate in group activities and co-curricular activities.
Such situations often hinder the overall development of students making them self conscious, under confident and socially disconnected.
4. Increased Risk of Dropping Out or Disengagement
A student who is facing mental health struggles and is under ongoing consultation, loses motivation to pursue their education which leads to disengagement and increases the likelihood of absenteeism and dropping out.
Factors Affecting Student Mental Health
Some of the major factors that affect a students mental health is :
- Academic pressure
- Social pressure
- Family expectations
- Financial stress
- Technology and social media
- Pandemic aftermath
These factors are very crucial to the overall mental health of a student where recognising the early signs of a poor mental health followed by a timely intervention and support can create difference.
The education system that currently prevails demands the high performance from students measured through deadlines, comparative exams and constant assessment which makes them feel overwhelmed by the fear of failure and the fear of under performing.
When students interact in an educational setup they often face peer comparison, bullying and the pressure to fit into the society norms which amplifies their issues and exposes students to unrealistic standards of success, beauty and popularity that have no boundaries.
Apart from all other issues the major condition that a student faces is balancing the family expectation with their personal aspiration creating a distress among both parents and students where they have an immense stress of parents desire for academic success.
The covid-19 pandemic has also played a very important role in exposing students to a very new concept of online education disturbing their social life and the mental health routine introducing them to the world of online learning, leading to isolation and health related anxiety which have a long lasting effect on students which cannot be treated very easily.
Similarly with technology students have been consuming content on a very large basis and due to excessive screen times and exposure to Cyber bullying they often lead to low self esteem anxiety due to the negative impact created by social media on mental health.
We are all well aware of how technology is changing education. And it’s high time we teach our students the correct usage of the devices and technology for their well-being.
Signs and Symptoms of Poor Mental Health in Students:
| Category | Signs and Symptoms |
| Behavioral Changes | – Withdrawal from social activities |
| – Irritability | |
| – Sudden mood swings | |
| – Lack of interest in hobbies | |
| Academic Struggles | – Decline in grades |
| – Missed deadlines | |
| – Absenteeism from classes | |
| Physical Symptoms | – Insomnia |
| – Fatigue | |
| – Headaches | |
| – Stomach problems | |
| – Other stress-induced conditions | |
| Emotional Indicators | – Feelings of sadness |
| – Hopelessness | |
| – Anxiety | |
| – Emotional numbness |
Strategies to Support Student Mental Health
1. Classroom Initiatives
- In order to support mental health in the classroom educators can integrate the basic mental health activities into daily lessons promoting emotional well being as instruments along with their academics.
- This classroom initiative taken by educators can help them in coping out with a lot of situations where teachers can take an extra step by encouraging students to take breaks and engage with them in mind full exercises. Students can also participate in group discussions on mental health awareness topics and break the Taboo around mental health issues.
2. School/College Programs
- It is important for institutions like schools and colleges to organise stress management workshops and campaigns related to mental health awareness promoting this same in an active manner in their everyday practices they can also take help from the peer support programme.
3. Parental Involvement
- Students spend most of the time with their parents and thus, they can create a supportive environment for them at home by encouraging open communication and setting realistic expectations for them from the beginning.
4. Personalized Approaches
- Each student is very different in the school and they require personalized attention, counselling, mental health plans and activities especially designed for themselves to help them cope up with problems and issues effectively.
Role of Stakeholders in Supporting Student Mental Health
1. For Educators
- Creating Safe Spaces: Teachers can encourage students to get involved in open conversations about mental health without fear of judgment, this helps them in growing and overall development.
- Training Programs: We should plan training sessions for educators in order to help them to recognise the signs of mental struggle which will help them in catering to the situation at an early stage proactively..
- Flexible Policies: My offering flexible policies into the teaching facilities educators can actually be the academic pressure during high stress periods for students specially during exams assessment and Viva.
- Peer Support Programs: Learning from their college is one of the student programs that can be introduced for students to share their experience and offer mutual support to each other to promote peer to peer education with collaboration.
2. For Students
- Daily Routines: Students can schedule there in a way that they feel more motivated to stick to the plan for rest and for relaxation.
- Self-Reflection: When in a learning environment it is very important for students to reflect on their journey and make changes accordingly. Journaling and mindfulness can help students in identifying these stress triggers and working on them.
- Relaxation Activities: Students are suggested to often get involved in creative habits and relaxation habits such as art music and sports for emotional release.
3. For Institutions
- Mental Health Policies: Institutions can introduce a mental health program then counselling sessions in the school framework to promote mental health and encourage students to share their feelings.
- Workshops and Clubs: School institutions can also host workshops on stress management and create their own mental health clubs to support students and create a community where they can interact and collaborate.
4. For Parents
- Open Communication: Students spend most of the time at home with their parents. It is very important for them to encourage their children to share their feelings and thoughts with them without any fear of criticism from the environment , which is healthy for their emotional health.
- Healthy Expectations: Parents are suggested to create healthy expectations and create boundaries for students to balance academic goals with emotional well being.
- Family Bonding: Parents and students should spend quality time together to promote trust and relaxation and create a healthy Bond with each other where they can grow.
Challenges in Addressing Student Mental Health
The challenges that a student’s mental health has apart from all the benefits, where the major issue is about the lack of awareness which needs to be addressed to prevent and regulate the stigma around mental health promoting open discussions regarding the same.
When students grow in an educational environment they often face a lack of resources in schools and mental health services which restricts their growth mentally.
Because of limited training to educators they are not able to handle the mental health concerns efficiently and often fail to understand the science and symptoms at an early stage leading to prolonged impact.
It is also important to understand therapy and counselling are not always affordable for all families and this financial barrier restricts the growth of students’ mental health and makes them more vulnerable to situations.
Mental Health Activities for Students
1. For Educators
- Teacher training programs on mental health awareness.
- Activities like celebrating effort over results.
2. For Students
- Time management workshops.
- Journaling and mindfulness sessions.
- Peer support groups for mutual emotional help.
3. For Institutions
- Relaxation corners and “stress-free” days.
- Access to guidance counselors and mental health clubs.
4. For Parents
- Teaching realistic expectations and coping strategies.
- Prioritizing family activities for emotional bonding.
Conclusion
When talking about mental health it is very important to understand that students’ mental health has a lot to do with the overall well-being and academic success in their life.
By addressing the mental health issues early the stakeholders involved such as educators parents institutions and students themselves can collectively create an environment with support for students to grow.
In order to grow in a healthy environment it is important to reduce the stigma built around mental health and practically implement all the positively affecting strategies in their academic journey ensuring that students ace their journey academically, emotionally and socially.
When all the stakeholders collaborate and create a healthy environment for students it creates an environment that promotes emotional resilience and mental wellness in students.
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