How Does School Affect Mental Health: Evaluation of The Study

This essay is about how does school affect mental health of adolescents. I conducted a survey to research the causes of mental health conditions in school, as well as the likelihood, the effectiveness of the current support, improvements which can be made, and the long term effects it can have.

The topic of this research is teenagers mental health, a subject crucial in today's age, when the understanding around such is improving every day. My aims for the following paper are to find the relationship between school and mental health, assess the support currently given to students and discuss improvements which can be made, review the long term effects on mental-wellbeing, and measure the scale in which this topic is on-finding out how many people are effected negatively by the education system.

The First Part: Methodology of the Study

Ethics were considered in this research, all candidates were made aware that they must be eighteen or above to complete the survey. As well as age, all who took part were made aware of their choice to withdraw from the project at any moment without consequence, resulting in their data and answers being deleted from the survey and not included in this paper. Candidates were also informed they would remain anonymous throughout the data collection and research paper

A survey of ten questions was completed by 39 subjects. I posted the link to my survey on several online forums, I opted for different interest-based forums to insure a wider audience, aware that aiming this survey at certain groups could result in bias data. I decided to collect the data online due to the simplicity of sharing the link this way, it also gives each participant an easy way of contacting me for questions, inputs, and withdrawals. Once collected I set the quantitative data out into graphs, whilst matching the qualitative data into groups and using this as a straightforward way to present the opinions of my candidates. I decided to display my findings in graphs as it is simple and easy to understand, as well as giving opportunities to see trends and patterns of the questions raised.

Second Part: Discussion of the Research 

In question one, I asked each candidate which age-bracket they fit into.. Farrer, a mental health researcher, states the importance of asking for age in research regarding mental health, saying that one's age can affect how they see their mental health, with many older people still seeing it as taboo and a number of young adolescents' exaggerating, or even making up, a condition. However, whilst taking these possibilities into consideration, evidence shows the increase of understanding when talking about mental health, therefore data received from each age group will be involved in this paper. In 2017, one in nine children aged 5-16 was identified has having a mental health disorder, forward to 2021 and the figures are one in six, these statistics show the chances of suffering with mental health issues at a younger age is increasing

My graph shows that 87% of candidates were between the age of 18 and 25, with 8% being 26-33, and 5% being between 34-41, with no one who took part being older than 42. As suspected, the negative correlation between age and candidates shows that younger individuals are more open to talk about their mental health, possibly due to older generations seeing it as a weakness, or believing it's just part of life. Research by the Governments' Office for Health Improvement shows that young adults are suffering the most with mental health disorders.

Question two focused on finding out which of my candidates struggled with their mental health between the ages of ten and nineteen. I decided to ask this question to work out how many candidates suffered with their mental health, this is important to the statistics in the paper, but also helps to view potential bias answers. My findings, displayed in a pie chart below, shows the data collected from the 39 participants. I decided to use a scale from 1 to 5 to take in answers, this is so candidates can give more specific answers- allowing them to show the depth in which they struggled.

Of my 39 participants, 82% strongly agreed that they faced issues with their mental health during this time, a further 13% agreed- a total of 2 candidates chose other options. The amount of young people being diagnosed with mental health disorders has risen by 50% in the last three years, currently 20% of adolescents are likely to face difficulties with their mental health at any time.

In this question I asked if these issues stemmed from school. I asked whether a medical professional or themselves believed so, to take in as accurate answers as possible. The data collected from this question made it possible to ask further questions about school life, and therefore focus on specific causes. Whilst researching this area, I became aware of the lack of information around what causes mental health issues at this age, finding most reports would calculate how many people suffer, but not find out why.

I found that 77% of participants' mental health issues were instigated whilst in school. The importance of this becomes apparent, when seeing the cycle of poor mental health and unsatisfactory schoolwork. According to research by Mind, 96% of students said that poor mental health had a negative effect on their work, the same research shows how this can be misinterpreted as bad behaviour, and therefore the students poor mental health goes unnoticed and even punished. 'Make it count' was started by The Mental Health Foundation in 2018, with the main aim to raise understanding of mental health in schools, to understand it as part of school life.

In question four I asked the participants to choose the main cause for their low mood at school. I asked this question to narrow down potential causes, and rule out specific areas.

The main cause of poor mental health was the individuals peers, with 36% of individuals selecting this. The main cause of low mood due to other students is bullying, a study made by Warwick University in 2017 found that 29% teenagers reported being bullied. Bullying in school can lead to individuals feeling ashamed, a change in diet, disturbed sleep pattern, low self-esteem, anxiety and depression, and social isolation. The next highest cause was exam stress. 19 individuals selected exam stress as a cause of their poor mental health, which, along with bullying, can cause anxiety and depression, as well as effect sleeping and dietary habits.

The importance of these question is highlighted when looking at previous research. In 2016, mental health campaigners 'Ditch The Label' found that 39% of bullied individuals had self-harmed, and 40% and experienced suicidal thoughts. In terms of exam stress, in 2014, 29% of teen suicides took place during the exam periods or whilst awaiting results.

In question 5 I asked which support each induvial received at school. I was surprised to find out that 18% of my participants went without help, despite mental health being part of the curriculum in PSHCE lessons, outlined in the governments 'Promoting children and young people's mental health and wellbeing', released in 2015, including numerous chapters aimed at mental health support. Despite having 39 participants, I had 69 responses to this question, indicating the number of people who have received more than one type of support.

22% of the participants had therapy whilst in school, the same number were on medication to help with depression or anxiety, 21% had school counselling, with only 12% receiving support from CAMHS. CAMHS, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, is a service which is run by the NHS specialising on mental health. The information gained here was vital to see what support is required by teenagers with poor mental health. Seeing which support each individual received also sets out the next question.

I chose to find out the effectiveness of school counselling specifically, asking for responses on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being extremely unsatisfied and 5 being extremely satisfied. The most common answer was 3, with 36% of people decided the support left them neither satisfied nor unsatisfied. The next most common answer was 32%, with 12 opting for extremely unsatisfied. With such a higher number of individuals left unsatisfied, I found previous research to discover why. A study by the University of Roehampton found that school counselling significantly improved self-esteem, as well as an increased understanding of ones achievements. With this previous research contradicting mine, I further looked into the lack of counselling, with less than half state schools offering counselling, with the numbers declining specifically in more deprived areas, since 2010.

This information can be used to highlight the improvements needed in school counselling, this is due to the high number of bad experiences my candidates have had.

In the next part of my research project, I aimed to find out if my participants believe the education system could work hand in hand with mental health groups, with a change in assessment conditions. I found that 92% of participants agreed that a reformation of exam procedures would decrease the likelihood of exam stress, and therefore mental health issues stemming from such. To link to an earlier, 31% of mental health issues that began at school are induced by exam stress, this question highlights the importance of reducing that number, and therefore reducing a high number of adolescents with poor mental health.

The idea of exams being abolished has grown recently, this is due to the pandemic leading to two years of GCSE results being calculated without exams. With worries over the accuracy of teacher-given results, King's College conducted research, finding that teacher assessment grades are as reliable as standard exams. This information should be used as supporting evidence that exams should be abolished or reformed, as equally effective alternatives are available, without the same serious effects on mental health.

I wanted to see the number of individuals who didn't go onto further courses due to mental health issues starting at school. My graph shows that 46% of individuals were put off further education, with 54% stating that this did not affect their decisions. Almost half of my participations missing a way of educationally improving, and therefore risking lowering their life choices, I looked into further research in regards to mental health and university.

The stress and anxiety in the final year of high school is increased due to the pressure put on by teachers as well as parents, asking about the future, as well as promoting and degrading certain options. The number of drop outs in first year university students has increased for the third consecutive year, with universities seeing an increased number of demand for mental health support, showing that even in the 54% that move onto higher education despite mental health issues, often suffer later on.

In my final quantitative question, I chose to calculate the number of students whose mental health improve once leaving school. Once again I asked the question on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being strongly agree and 1 being strongly disagree. 3% of my participants strongly disagreed that their mental health has improved, this could be due to their mental health issues not being related to school, another reason could be that the trauma they suffered in school was significant enough to permanently affect the individual. 32% neither agreed or disagreed with the statement, and 11% disagreed. 55% of my participants agreed or strongly agreed that their mental health has improved since leaving school.

This question is difficult to perceive, as an individual's mental health may worsen after leaving school due to no longer receiving school support. As well as this, teenagers reach 18 shortly after leaving school, meaning they can no longer work with CAMHS, both of these should be considered when looking at the results below.

I also asked my participants what schools could do to improve the support they offer. As this is a qualitative question, each reply I received was different, I therefore grouped them into topics in which the participant answered. 6 participants suggested that mental health should be put before schoolwork, once again linking to the Make It Count campaign. One individual said 'Put students' well-being first, without focusing on their exams', referring back to the previous research on the causes of mental health issues. Another said 'Treat it as an issue - just how one would with any physical illness', with the growth of understanding surrounding mental health, this quote outlines how behind schools are. A further 3 individuals said that staff need to be further educated on mental health in adolescents, with 1 believing that the training is too generic. One participant said 'Ensure staff are aware of signs and symptoms', this is vital, especially in lower school staff as research shows that receiving support early can decrease the chance of one going on to suffer from a more serious mental health condition.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I believe that adolescent mental health is put a risk in the current education system. With the research I conducted, I proved the negative effects of school, this alone would not be detrimental if not for the poor support in which students receive, meaning the mental health issues are not caught early and therefore individuals go onto receive support from mental health groups such as CAMHS. To improve the mental health of current students and future generations, mental health needs to be fully understood by those in school roles, and be perceived as equally important as the learning in which students partake in. My research highlights several causes of mental health issues in adolescence, as well as the improvements which can be made to offer support, this information is vital to change the current adolescent mental health crisis.

In my research I met my aims in regards to the cause of mental health issues, as well as the effectiveness of current support, long term effects, and the improvements which can be made. Although I received data showing the likelihood of one suffering, I believe this aim could have been met further if I asked a higher number of individuals, and gave out my survey in more places.

Evaluation and Recommendations

If repeating this research in the future, I would ask more questions, therefore enabling me to be more specific in what I ask. This would be beneficial as the feedback I receive would be more accurate. I would use a wider audience when sending out my survey, gaining further participants would again create more accurate replies, making my research more effective.

MY most effective question were 4, 8, and 9, with the answers to these allowing me to display further past research, as well as making suggestions for the future. I would change question 1 to be more specific, due to a high number of individuals being in the lowest bracket. My original question in which I based my research off was specific enough to ask questions, without being overly hard to advance further.

My findings are crucial to the future of adolescent mental health. With this research identifying specific areas which can be improved, and the difference this could make. These findings could reduce the need for CAMHS and other support groups, therefore taking pressure off the NHS- this is because less people would need further help if early intervention is increased due to educated staff. This research identifies school counselling, teachers education of mental health, and improved anti-bullying policies, as the main areas to be improved. I believe further research into this area, specifically into the period around exams, would be necessary to take further action.

References

1. Kidger, J., Gunnell, D., Biddle, L., Campbell, R., Donovan, J., & Gunnell, D. (2010). Schools and teachers as pathways to care for suicidal young people. British Journal of Psychiatry, 196(1), 75-81.

2. Alaimo, K., Olson, C. M., Frongillo, E. A. (2001). Food insufficiency and American school-aged children's cognitive, academic, and psychosocial development. Pediatrics, 108(1), 44-53.

3. Brunner, M., Nagy, G., & Wilhelm, O. (2019). Linking cognitive and non-cognitive assessments to school grades: A focus on self-regulation and motivation. Learning and Individual Differences, 71, 80-91.

4. Furlong, M. J., You, S., Renshaw, T. L., Smith, D. C., O'Malley, M. D. (2014). Preliminary development of the Social and Emotional Health Survey for secondary students. Social Indicators Research, 117(3), 1011-1032.

   Keep in mind:
   This is only a sample.

   Get a custom paper now from our expert writers.

   Get custom essay

5. Perou, R., Bitsko, R. H., Blumberg, S. J., Pastor, P. N., Ghandour, R. M., Gfroerer, J. C.,... & Schieve, L. A. (2013). Mental health surveillance among children—United States, 2005–2011. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Surveillance Summaries, 62(Suppl 2), 1-35.