ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – From kindergarten to senior year, experts say mental health screenings help them identify students at risk of experiencing mental health issues.
While conducting research, experts found a large percentage of students experiencing mental health issues do not have a trusted adult presence inside the school.
That’s why building relationships between school staff and students can open a door for better communication.
They also say students mental health improves when they have a different reason for going to school other than learning.
“We’re looking at students across demographics, across socio-economic areas, across races and the underlying factor that was relevant for all children is how secure and well their mental health is. Until that’s addressed, you basically have your building full of students who are unavailable to learn, until we can address why they are unavailable to learn, which is rooted in their mental health,” said Patrick White, a middle school teacher.
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