“R E GA R D LE S S O F Y O UR RA CE , M E NTA L HE ALTH C A N B E A N I F F Y S U B J E CT F OR A L OT O F PE O PLE A N D T H AT CO N V E R SATION IS AL WAYS GO I N G T O B E U N CO M F OR TABLE, BUT I H AVE N OT I CE D A L OT O F T REND S W HER E WH E N W H I T E P E O P L E TA L K A BOUT IT , IT’ S M O R E A CCE P TA B L E T O B E G OING T HRO U GH TH ING S . ” AMARRA ANDRESON Amarra Andreson, a junior on CORE staff (Congress of Racial Equity), finds that phones act as both a light-hearted distraction and social outlet, but can negatively impact how people talk about mental health. “You know, like, going on my finsta [a ‘fake’ Instagram usually exclusively for friends] and ranting or posting on my private story and just like not doing anything about it so when people actually check up on me, I’m like, ‘oh, it’s okay, I’m good now.’ But, really, I need that physical support,” Andreson said. The internet also spreads information about current events. As Moore said, mental health difficulties can be traced to hereditary factors (for example, familial history of mental illness) or to individual traumas, but it’s also deeply impacted by broader societal issues. “The climate crisis...we’re all worrying about that because it’s what we have to plan our future around,” Andreson said. “Knowing about disasters going around the world, increase[s] in poverty, stuff like that... things that don’t directly impact some of us...they’re all being piled onto us to think about how we’re going to move forward.” All-encompassing issues like climate change and academic stress illustrate how mental health is relevant for everyone — no matter their race, socioeconomic status, or culture. But especially at Garfield, one of the most diverse high schools in the dis-
THERE’S A L AC K OF KNOWLEDGE ABOU T HOW TO GO ABOU T AC TU ALLY HELPING A KID. WHEN TE AC HERS WOU LD ASK, HOW C AN I BEST SU PPORT YOU , I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT. ” ELENA MARTINEZ
trict, it’s important to note how structural racism adds layers to the dialogue. Discussion of mental health can be especially taboo in non-white cultures, which makes it more difficult to begin conversations about it. “My dad is Mexican and my mom is Filipina. My dad definitely struggles with his own mental health but just doesn’t acknowledge it. He sees it like, ‘you kids are privileged, you have nothing to be sad about,’” Martinez said. “So anytime anyone is depressed and there’s nothing conceivably wrong in their life, he just sees it like, ‘that’s some white people sh*t.’” But it doesn’t stop there: data suggests that when people of color do seek help, it is far more difficult for them to actually receive care. According to the US Office of Minority Health, suicide was the second leading cause of death for black adolescents in 2017, yet in that year, white people were twice more likely to receive mental health support and/or medication than black or Latinx people. So within our own school, how can Garfield shift its culture to be more supportive and prioritize mental health — especially within stressful academic environments? A good place to start is our Advanced Placement (AP) courses. AP classes have a reputation for placing students under a great deal of pressure — not only from parents and teachers, but also from peers.. Elena Martinez noticed that AP classes
can exacerbate anxiety. “I felt like I was failing all the time in school even though I was doing well,” she said. “It wasn’t until I started legitimately failing school that I learned to get over that anxiety. I’ve gotten better at not beating myself up over every mistake I make.” How should Garfield address this problem? “The first step is for everyone to generally be more empathetic to each other,” Martinez said. “Before judging, [try] to understand and [help] each other out when you can. Just [check] up on each other, not being condescending.” When it comes to the classroom, teachers often find it challenging to identify and help kids that are struggling while staying on top of their curriculum and keeping control of the class. “There’s a lack of knowledge about how to go about actually helping a kid,” Martinez said. “When teachers would ask, how can I best support you, a lot of the time I didn’t even know the answer to that. I’ve had lots of teachers tell me I could come in and talk. I didn’t take most of them up on it, but just knowing that someone cared and was there.” Zimmermann had a similar perspective: it is often hard for teachers to know how to support struggling students. “The job in my life is to help people learn, but people learn best when they are mentally healthy, so I think of [trying to support
students mentally] as part of my job,” Zimmermann said. “I’m in no position to diagnose, no position to treat, but I do want to take the kind of care of people I can.” More well-known outlets for mental health support at Garfield come with their own complications. “There’s always that stigma around seeking mental health at school because one, people can see you,” Andreson said. “I personally feel like, I don’t want people to think there’s something wrong with me!” But according to Ms. Rosie, research shows that kids who have a trusted adult in their life do better in school and have better emotional wellbeing. “Counseling is important, [but] it doesn’t necessarily have to be a therapist,” Moore said. “It’s just finding an adult in the building that you can connect with.” There are a lot of things we can do better as a school. “[We need to have] conversations about mental health in a classroom setting in a way that doesn’t trigger people but also is more information and expands on resources,” Andreson said. Moore’s take was more specific. “The first thing is to get plenty of sleep,” Moore said. “Really, self-care. Hygiene, eat well, do some deep breathing. Just realize it’s not the end of the world even if it seems that way.”
fill out. All those confidential services are easily accessible and in walking distance from the classroom.”
Crisis Connections offers support for issues including mental health, housing instability, and substance abuse. Phone: 1-866-4CRISIS (24-hour crisis line)* Website: https://www.crisisconnections.org/ Teen Link is a confidential and anonymous help line for teens. Trained teen volunteers are available to talk with you about any issue of concern. Phone: 1-866-TEENLINK* Website: www.teenlink.org Center for Human Services offers mental health counseling with sliding scale payment based on income and household size.
Phone: 206-362-7282 Website: https://www.chs-nw.org/programsservices/family-counseling/ National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800273-TALK WA Warm Line is peer-to-peer over the phone counseling for people living with emotional and mental health challenges. Phone: 1-877-500-WARM * do not provide ongoing counseling
RESOURCES TEEN HEALTH CENTER Garfield’s Teen Health Center can be found around the corner from the main office, including the nurse’s office, free mental health counseling, psychiatric services, and free menstrual products and birth control. “Definitely come in and check it out, just to find out what kind of services we have! There are two types of consent-- we have a minor consent, so if you’re 13 and older you can sign your own consent form for mental health services, drug and alcohol, pregnancy prevention. You can get your sports physical here, which is a full consent that your parent or guardian wouldn’t need to
THERAPY AND HOTLINES Nami Seattle hosts free drop-in support groups, including a support group for black, indigenous and people of color living with mental health conditions, bipolar support groups, and eating disorder support recovery. Look here for a full monthly schedule: http:// namiseattle.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ Support-Group-Schedule-December.pdf
Note: In Washington State, you may access confidential counseling at age 13 or above without parental consent.
