Speaker 1: Transcriber's Name Reviewer's Name Dear diary, here is a visual representation of my emotions right now. It's a drawing of a blender, and inside, a black lump is spinning in circles. Looking back, it makes me sad. I drew it when I was in elementary school, and it's the first time I can remember not having the words to express my emotions. Five years later, I would find myself sitting cross-legged on the floor of a middle school classroom, talking with a friend I didn't know very well. She would tell me about self-harm. She would tell me where she cut herself, so her parents didn't see. It was devastating and heartbreaking, and I laughed, because once again, I didn't have the words to talk about my mental health and the mental health of the people I cared about. I'm a junior in high school now, and I have watched as friends have battled with anxiety and depression. I've had friends drop out of high school. I've had friends attempt suicide. It's heartbreaking, because mental health issues are something other people have, until it's the people you love. And our students are not being prepared for addressing these issues. In fact, my generation has some of the highest suicide rates since World War II. One in three students reports persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, according to a 2019 study, which was up 40% from 2009. My generation is struggling, but we already knew that. See, it's not like we're doing nothing about these statistics. In fact, we're seeing schools across the nation hire more school therapists. We're seeing third-party organizations and state political parties introducing programs to get free counseling sessions for youth. We are making changes, and it's not enough, because our mental health supports are not accessible to all youth. When a student wants to get mental health aid in their classroom or in their school, they have to leave class. They have to make up that school work, or stay after school or come before school, and arrange rides with parents who might not be able to provide them if their work days don't accommodate for that. And students are expected to advocate for their own mental health when they have never had to do so before. It's a lot to ask, and it results in students not getting help until they are actively in crisis. We are not taking a preventative approach to our mental health services, and it's hurting kids. We need mental health integration in the classroom. And the coolest thing is that it's not that hard. Studies show, for instance, when students can write essays that break down complicated feelings or circumstances that they may be encountering at home, they are able to better analyze and process their own thoughts, which can result in healthier emotional regulation. In science, we can be teaching about neurochemistry, the way our brains work. Right now, we're keeping conversations about how our own minds work locked behind the doors of a counselor's office. When we could be teaching them in science classes, we need to understand how we feel the way we do and why our emotions work that way. And it can help students better process and understand complex feelings. This high school and school is a stressful time for kids. When you're stepping into your own and figuring out who you are, that can be difficult. And by integrating education on mental health into the classroom, we are providing students with the resources they need to navigate this complex time. But integration is the key word here. I've been a part of a number of classes where counselors have tried to offer this support. So they slip it in on the side. They take students to seminar or study hall periods, times that we've been guaranteed time to connect with friends, work on homework, catch up in classes, and replaced it with discussions about mental health. When we set up our mental health resources in this way, it becomes a punishment. Students are losing time that they need to get other things done, and it creates a negative relationship with mental health that they may take with them for the rest of their lives. We're making counselors sound like some scary third party, somebody that you only go to if you're damaged. When we all encounter adversity, we all need that support. And it only makes sense to put it into a regular classroom setting. I know that this integration will make mental health less taboo and will empower students to advocate for their own mental health. Because when it's no longer some scary concept, when our advertisements about mental health are more than the inspirational posters in our high school hallways, we are letting students know that we all struggle sometimes, and we are making those resources that we're investing in, school counselors in the office or therapy outside of school, more accessible. This is a change that we need to benefit our students and preserve a future where mental wellness is a priority. Thank you. Applause Music