Many students deal with mental health issues, but there is not much talk about mental health in schools. Mental illness is becoming more common among students, making it harder for the students to learn, which could affect the school environment.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, one out of five students will experience mental health issues. Mental health issues increase as kids grow older, making high school and college the peak of a mental illness found in students.

Students who are living a stressful life are more likely to get a mental illness compared to kids who don’t. For example, if a student’s family is in poverty, they’re more likely to get a mental illness compared to a student in a wealthy family.

According to the National Association of School Psychologists, students who get help are most likely to succeed in school, compared to students who don’t get help or don’t want it. Students who get help will be more likely to reach their academic goal, while the students who don’t get help have a higher chance to fail, which could worsen their illness.

At Santa Fe High School, for kids dealing with mental illnesses, they can go to their counselors and the Teen Health Center for help. According to Zahira Carr, “Students who don’t get help may be scared to address the issue. If schools take action on this issue before it becomes a problem, the school can really help kids.”