The topic of mental health in school is not always discussed for many reasons. Students just don’t want to talk about problems they are having, teachers don’t always have time to speak with students one on one, and it is just a hard topic to discuss in general. Student’s having to go through stress and anxiety in school because of the struggles of balancing school activities plus assignments and homework can be tough to overcome. This issue has been going on for some time and for students everywhere.

Students can be going through these issues on a day to day basis and not everyone can say it is easy to point out through a crowd. Many can go through their whole day normally without standing out or showing any signs that they are going through problems or they are going through a lot of stress. “Up to one in five kids living in the U.S. shows signs or symptoms of a mental health disorder in a given year.” So many students can be struggling with these issues and you might not even give it any thought. And out of all these students, not all of them seek help or even speak up about their problems.

One factor that contributes to student stress is grades. According to the Society for Research in Child Development, a recent study shows that during the change of the high school years it has created more stress for students going through it. Especially during the beginning of the year where grades tend to change and sometimes decline. “Students who reported an entity theory of intelligence (I.e., the belief that intelligence is fixed) showed higher cortisol when grades were declining.” These students that believe their intelligence stays the same and does not change or get better, go through more stress and keep that stress without moving on. This affects their actions and how they do academically in their other classes.

However, stress can cause an even bigger impact on a student that can affect them greatly. The National Alliance on Mental Illness states, “50% of students age 14 or older with a mental illness drop out of high school.” The problem with students struggling with mental illnesses is that going through high school and the extra work that comes with it such as tests and out of school activities can be a lot of strain on them. This can lead them to not want to continue school and dropping out.

Students can also feel anxiety along with stress. Especially with having to complete schoolwork, homework and other activities like school sports. “Teens and college students can easily feel anxious trying to juggle school, work, friends, and family while trying to figure out the rest of your life.” These parts of high school can be most stressful when you don’t have all the time in the day to fit everything and finish all the things to make school move smoothly.

The issue with students having to find the time and balancing school and other activities can be stressful and can cause anxiety which can be hard on teens in high school. “Today’s teens and young adults are the most anxious ever.” based on mental health surveys. You can ease this stress anxiety by talking to someone you trust at home or school if you are having any of these issues. This can help in a major way if you have the most support during these times.