Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools high schoolers and local mental health professionals came together at the Forsyth County Central Library last Thursday night to host a panel on mental health titled “It’s OK to Not be OK”.
Mental health is a crucial part of personal wellness for people of all ages, including children. In North Carolina, suicide is the second-highest cause of death among 7th-12th graders, and 10% of all high schoolers and middle schoolers say that they’ve attempted suicide. Mental health concerns in schools are on the rise since the pandemic, with teachers reporting more aggressive and disruptive behavior among younger students, and chronic absenteeism now affecting 30% of students, double the 15% mark from before the pandemic.
Despite the large body of research that shows mental health problems as serious and damaging for students, stigma remains an obstacle to addressing these issues. In “It’s OK to Not be OK”, students and expert panelists from the Mental Health Association of Forsyth, Wake Forest Baptist School Health Alliance, Community Care Center, and Partners Behavioral Health agreed that too many people see working on one’s mental health struggles as a sign of weakness. Nothing can get better without honest conversations and a willingness to ask for help.
“There’s an idea that if you think you need help with something, there’s something wrong with you,” said North Forsyth High School Junior Tristan Muhammad. “No one is perfect. Everybody goes through things.”
Student and expert panelists spent the evening answering questions about their own experiences with mental health struggles, what fuels those struggles, and what can be done about them. Social media was a common thread, as students today have to deal with more communications than ever trying to sell them on or pressure them into a certain way of living. Sometimes, the best thing to do is tune out the noise and appreciate your authentic self without looking through the filters of the internet.
“I think it’s kind of taking myself out of the equation when I say that I need to be more like someone else,” said Reagan High School Junior Alayna Bah. “I think it’s about coming to peace with the fact that I am who I am and that I’m where I need to be in life.”
Having someone to talk to is essential for maintaining a healthy mind, and Forsyth County has dozens of resources for both students and adults in need. However, the experts at the panel acknowledged that there aren’t enough providers working right now to meet the vast needs of the community, a problem that will require long-term public investment to address.
The good news is that a little bit of self-care can go a long way. Carving out space in the day for the things that make you happy and balancing stress with pleasure can make addressing any mental health concern easier to deal with. So does having a robust support system of friends and family to lean on.
“I would define self-care as balance,” said Atkins High School Sophomore Katherine Powell. “Trying to find time in my day to read a book, to take a nice shower, to paint my nails, to find those moments when I can just be in the moment and be myself.”
Last school year, WS/FCS performed 424 suicide safety assessments and 99 behavior threat assessments. School counselors, social workers, and psychologists are supporting students at every campus, and last year’s holistic wellness summit for students will be repeated this April. WS/FCS cares deeply about providing for students struggling with depression, anxiety, bullying, self-harm, and more so that they can live happy, fulfilling lives, and “It’s OK to Not be OK” is just one more way to support them.
“Toxic stress from adverse childhood experiences and our traumas can alter our brain development and the way we respond to stress,” said WS/FCS Mental Health Clinician Keisha Horton said. “That’s why it’s important to talk about our youth mental health, because we want to get ahead of it as much as possible.”