Ruble 1

Alivia Ruble

Professor Morean

English 1201-01

23 March 2020

Literature Review

How do schools handle the mental issues of their students and is it enough? There are

many different opinions on this question. Some places might not even have the same issues as

some other places would have that are only a couple miles away. The amount of mental issues in

schools can be based on home life, school life, inside thoughts, and possible money problems. Is

there too much support to where it makes young people overwhelmed? Or is there not enough

and it makes them feel alone, unsafe?  

It is not just a problem across the U.S. It has become a worldwide epidemic that many

young people are experiencing. The main problem you would see when researching this topic is

that it is more common to have a mental issue if there is not enough money or resources to help

resolve the whole predicament. It is also repeated that the number of counselors, social workers,

and school psychologists are limited in some areas. However, you take a look at the richer

schools and there is a lot more support due to the financial state. 

In Independent School Parent’s article, it starts off by saying, “Britain’s teenagers are

said to be “among the unhappiest in the world”. While the article by Meg Anderson and Kavitha

Cardoza only addresses the problem in the United States. After reading the article by

Independent School Parent, it is clearer that Britain is taking a more active approach in providing

support compared to the U.S.  Even Prince Henry made a speech on the issue on behalf of the

“Heads Together” charity. I saw the biggest movement for this issue was when Wimbledon High
 Ruble 2

School put a statue of a black dog to symbolize depression. “It was at the school entrance so that

every single person could see it and realize that there is no prejudice in talking about mental

health.” (Independent School Parent)

Common misconceptions about mental health in youth have become a larger problem in

the present day than in the past. Examples are that it is not possible for kids to have mental

illnesses, having an illness is a sign of personal weakness, kids with mental illnesses grow up to

be violent, unpredictable adults, treatments are ineffective for kids who are battling a certain

illness, and that mental illnesses are caused by bad parenting. (Idaho School Ranch) The cause of

a mental illness can be biological or an environmental influence before birth. 

There are many possible solutions to solve the issue that are inexpensive but helpful. It

only takes two seconds out of a teacher’s day to ask someone if they are okay. In the TED talk

by Jordan Wells, she described her battle with mental issues and some of her suggestions to help

dissolve the epidemic. Some of her ideas were to have a teacher or a counselor ask someone

“How was your day? “If not so, well why, would you like to have a sit down, one to one

conversation?” Little questions like that can help dramatically because it can give the affected

person a sense of security since someone is finally showing some interest in them and their

problem. Also, she came up with “The Zones of Regulation” method. It has four zones including

the blue zone (sad, sick, tired, bored, and moving slowly), green zone (happy, calm, feeling

okay, focused and ready to learn), yellow zone (frustrated, worried, silly/wiggly, excited, and

loss of some control), and the red zone (mad/angry, mean, terrified, yelling/hitting, and out of

control). This helps teachers or counselors recognize the signs of a problem and help them give

them support. The most impactful quote that every school or environment should remember.

“Emotion is a strength. Don’t be afraid to use it” -Mary Cowin

 Ruble 3

Works Cited

Adelmen, Howard and Linda Taylor. Mental Health in Schools: Engaging Learners, Preventing

Problems, and Improving Schools. Library of Congress Cataloging, 2015. Accessed 23

March 2020.

Anderson, Meg and Kavita Cardoza. (2016, August 31) “Mental Health In Schools: A Hidden

Crisis Affecting Millions Of Students.” npr, Retrieved from www.npr.org,

www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/08/31/464727159/mental-health-in-schools-a-hidden-

crisis-affecting-millions-of-students. Accessed 23 March 2020.

Baker, Christina. “School-Based Mental Health Services: What Can the

Partnership Look like?” Counseling Today, 4 May 2018,

ct.counseling.org/2013/01/school-based-mental-health-services-what-can-the-

partnership-look-like/. Accessed 23 March 2020.

Idaho Youth Ranch. “5 Common Misconceptions About Teens Mental Health.” Idaho Youth 

Ranch, 16 Oct. 2018,www.youthranch.org/blog/5-common-misconceptions-about-teens-

mental-health. Accessed 23 March 2020.

Independent School Parent. “How Are Schools Tackling the Teenage Mental Health

Crisis?” Independent School Parent, 17 May 2018,

www.independentschoolparent.com/lifestyle/health/teenage-mental-health. Accessed 23

March 2020. 
 Ruble 4

Wells, Jordan. “How Can We Improve School-Based Mental Health Support? | Jordan Wells |

TEDxYouth@BeaconStreet” Youtube, 23 Jan. 2019. www.youtube.com/watch?

v=NJehaP8DS9k. Accessed 23 March 2020.