The challenges that the youth with mental health disorders face are quite significant, changing their daily and future course of life. Some of them include disturbances within the family context, limitations of growth within the school environment, and problems within the broader community’s relationship. The entire impact of these issues requires consideration for identifying the most salient challenges in order to implement proper intervention measures and ensure a better outcome.
Family Problems and Alienation- The family members of the youths suffer from strained relations and feelings of hopelessness result from these disorders. At times, the emergent disruptive behaviors pose a challenge to their parents and other siblings and it is the hapless child who is blamed for the discomfort in the family. Sometimes, the parents cannot find a way to help the child or ease their emotional tension which is manifested in marital discord and fracturing of family ties. Further, these families are socially isolated with mental health stigma. Relatives and other social networks withdraw themselves. They find no one for supporting them when such critical issues emerge. As the cycle goes long, isolation strengthens and their plight worsens over time.
School Challenges: The school can often be the battleground of unmet expectations and misplaced perceptions for students with mental illnesses. Typically, these students want to do well academically; however, symptoms like concentration deficits, emotional fluctuations, and impairment in relationships with peers are huge hurdles.
Elementary and Middle School – Mental health disorders are viewed in the behaviors that lead the young children into the disciplinary or isolation process. These are more prone to suspension or expulsion, so their learning and socialization suffer. Statistics indicate that youth who have mental health disorders miss, on average, 18-22 school days each year. Besides, their suspension and expulsion rates are three times as high as those of their peers. Their presence in classes would therefore hamper learning and contribute to them developing critically in academics. In addition, they mostly end up having poor relationships with their peers that may make them more withdrawn or aggressive and exacerbate the problems.
either stereotype them as troublesome or make them outcasts to heighten their sense of alienation. Even in the absence of ample facilities in the form of counseling and support groups, such youth fall short in responding to their ills. Exclusion of such youth resulting from stigma continues to narrow avenues available for forming more meaningful relationships and otherwise participating in extracurricular activities that will eventually strengthen both their well-being and sense of belonging. Interventions and Possible Solutions
High School: The level of high school has academic and social demands, which increase the challenges as the students affected by untreated mental health disorders are more likely to drop out of school and fail to graduate compared to others. In fact, only 32% of the students with serious mental illnesses advance into postsecondary education. Also, up to 14% of these students receive mostly Ds and Fs, compared to 7% of all students with disabilities receiving mostly Ds and Fs. It goes beyond academics. Students suffering from mental health disorders in high school are more likely to engage in risk behaviors, such as drug abuse or suicide attempts. These are basically because of their feelings of being isolated or marginalized. Emotional disorders form the largest category of disabilities with the lowest graduation rate and highest dropout in the special education system. During the 2005-2006 school year, 45 percent of students who received IDEA Part B services for emotional disorders left before they completed their schooling. Community Challenges and Stigma – It is stigma and lack of understanding in the community that most people suffer from mental health disorders.
Such young people with mixed mental illnesses require special interventions measures at family, school, and community levels.
- Family Counseling and Support: Counseling for families along with supportive groups for the families will better enable them to understand their child. Also, family counseling facilities will minimize communication stressors in a household.
- School-Based Mental Health Services: Schools are excellent locations for detection and support to be given for the students having mental illness.
This will significantly reduce the absence and tardiness of the student if there is the creation of a school-based mental health center. It has been indicated by various studies that referred students have reduced absenteeism by 50% and tardiness by 25%. Teachers and other staff members must be trained on how to detect the presence of mental health disorders. The practice must also be encouraged among the members because they should not be forced to unfairly punish the students because of the behavior that relates to the conditions, but the child must be supported.
- Community Resources and Awareness Campaigns: Community-based programs can provide safe spaces for youths to discuss their struggles and access counseling. Awareness campaigns will also fight stigmatization and thus create an environment more amiable for such individuals and their families.
- Policy Changes and Funding: The policymakers are also calling for better improvement in the inputs assigned to services in schools and communities for people with mental health. Additionally, adherence and strengthening of funding arrangements for special education programs would be highly effective, especially on emotional disorders.
Youths with mental illnesses face various difficulties that involve their families and the learning or community engagement processes.
From strained family relationships to high dropout rates and social isolation, huge consequences with lifelong implications stem from these barriers. However, interventions in the right places-families, schools, school-based mental health programs, and community resources-are what would help these youth overcome obstacles in leading a fulfilling life. What is needed for these issues to be addressed is a collective consensus among families, educators, policymakers, and society so that each child can make it through.