Costa’s Mental Health Awareness Week began on April 8 with the goal of promoting mental health awareness and opening conversations on campus. Beach Cities Health District representatives and seniors Izzy Stein and Amanda Costley and junior Ella Scalabrini organized Mental Health Week because they felt the need to bring mental health to the forefront, Costley said.
While the efforts of the students involved were admirable, Costa’s administration needs to do more to help students who are struggling with their mental health. They need to bring awareness to these issues, rather than brushing them off and leaving students to pick up the slack. Costa’s administration should better utilize the resources available on campus to better support students and eliminate the need for students to try and tackle a seemingly insurmountable issue such as mental health on campus.
Administration and staff members showed a Signs of Suicide video on Wednesday in classrooms to all freshmen and new students. All students watch the video at one point during high school to let them know they have resources to seek help.
The Signs of Suicide initiative is a step in the right direction, as it attempts to get students to ask for help if they need it. However, students face multitudes of challenges as they progress through their four years of high school, and only showing the video during a student’s freshman year may be unhelpful if they find themselves struggling as a sophomore, junior or senior.
According to a study by Live Science, one in every five teenagers struggle with a very serious mental health problem, namely anxiety disorders, panic disorders and social phobias. These problems prevent students from feeling mentally healthy on a day-to-day basis, impacting all aspects of their lives.
Costa implemented the stress room in 2017 as a safe place for students to go when they are overwhelmed. While this room has provided a space for students who feel overwhelmed, its effects are often counteracted before they can begin to be helpful. Many teachers and students do not take the stress room seriously, with some teachers even discouraging students from taking advantage of this resource.
For over 2,500 students enrolled at Costa, there are seven counselors, three school psychologists and one Marriage and Family therapist, according to Principal Dr. Ben Dale. However, many students are unaware of these professionals who are available to help them; Costa should promote these resources and encourage students to utilize them should they feel the need to.
In order to improve Mental Health Awareness Week, there should be mandatory events for all students rather than optional ones. This would allow all students to participate in the activities and become informed, rather than just a few who are passionate about the cause.
Mental health struggles do not have a catch-all solution, but the administration has the ability, as well as the responsibility, to promote mental health awareness and for the benefit of its students.
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