IS SCHOOL THE MAIN REASON FOR THE DETERIORATION OF TEENAGER’S MENTAL HEALTH?

WRITTEN BY IZZY S

In this essay, I will be addressing and discussing the importance mental health can have on young people – especially the impact that school has on teenagers' mental health Mental health varies from person to person very differently. An April 2022 report from the center's for disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - the Adolescents behaviours and experiences survey- shows that 44% of teens feel ‘persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness’ According to previous CDC data, this is an increase of around 37% in 2019. Mental health includes our emotions, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. This can also include how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. In addition, poor mental health and mental illness are not the same. A person could experience poor or low mood/mental health however not be diagnosed with a mental illness Similarly, a person diagnosed with a mental illness could experience a decrease in physical, mental and social well-being. In adolescents, up to 20% may experience a mental health problem and 50% of mental health problems are established between the ages of 11-16 Mental health is there forever –when you ’ re a child, to an adolescent to an adult- so it is important to maintain a healthy one..

In brief, to maintain a healthy mental wellbeing, here are some tips:

Talk!

Rather than keeping all your thoughts and emotions to yourself, confide with someone close to you or someone you trust It takes courage to let others know you are struggling but remember it is not a sign of weakness!

Get active

Being active is not only great for your physical wellbeing but proven to help your mental wellbeing It can distract you from any worries or thoughts you may be experiencing

Discard negative relationships

It is important to invest your time in people who make you feel good about yourself Being in relationships where you are judged, put down or dismissed can impact mood and self-esteem

Although school seems like a positive, inclusive environment to some, others may feel the complete opposite Studies find the pressure to succeed at school has a significant impact on pupils’ mental health. More than three-quarters of young people seeking mental health support say the pressure to achieve academic success played a significant role in the deterioration of their mental health The exam pressure and constant reminder from parents and teachers to do well, constantly plays in the back of teenager’s mind and adolescents are afraid of the outcome to their results This can have a huge impact on one ' s mental health due to stress levels increasing This could start as simple as lack of sleep while revising for subjects/doing homework etc but could lead to mental illness’s such as anxiety and depression In addition to this, a study was conducted in the U S stating ‘teens between the ages of 13-17 face academic pressure with 61% saying they feel a lot of weight on their shoulders to get good grades’ American

Academy of Child and Adolescents Psychiatry has similar findings, citing school demands and frustration as a source of stress for teens

While school offers many benefits to adolescents, such as connecting with peers, overscheduling and academic pressure can be a significant source of stress, contributing to mental health issues including teen depression While awareness has grown increasingly over the years, that awareness doesn’t always get taken into action Teens need support, whether they feel embarrassed or arrogant about independence, from parents, school, friends and other care providers and mentors in order to access treatment for depression in high school. On average 16% of US teens, aged 12-17, - more than 4 million adolescents- had at least one major depressive episode in 2022, In addition, 11 5% of US youth (over 2 7 million high school students) experienced major depressive disorder Bullying and peer relationships is directly correlated with depression in secondary school as well For teens who struggle with social anxiety or are simply shy, peer relationships can be a source of stress – which can eventually lead to mental health problems With bullying, teens may face snarky comments in life, but being targeted day in and day out may also increase stress levels LGBTQ, Asian, black and multicultural students report highest levels of bullying in school

On the controversy, most would say school is an inclusive environment, that strives to help pupils achieve their absolute best while gaining important life skills such as communication and teamwork Mental health can deteriorate anywhere During The COVID19 pandemic back in 2019/2020, everywhere went on lockdown. This meant schools were shut, meaning online learning had to take place. Since closing schools and practically everywhere, that meant no one could go outside and see their friends and the reinforcement of social distancing This could negatively affect homelife and take a toll on one ' s mental health In the first year of covid, research stated that 1 in 4 adolescents struggled with loneliness, depression and anxiety. For example, studies show that attachment needs shifted to their friends or romantic partners, teens spent most of their time on devices catching up with friends, rather than their parents and parent-child relationship’s tension increased Studies also show that young adolescents felt lonelier that elderly – resulting in a decline in the mental health

Although school may have their factor to play in the rising levels in teen depression, cyberbullying could also be a cause In addition to this, COVID19 affected everyone globally However, since adolescents’ brains are still developing, this makes them vulnerable to stress Not having any outside world interaction with anyone could create a sense of loneliness; Hence, working and learning from home, students spent a lot of time on devices; This could increase cyberbullying which could contribute to teens to have a feeling of low self-esteem or low mood Nearly half of U S teens aged 13 to 17 (46% girls) report ever experiencing at least one or six cyberbullying behaviours between April and May 2022 The most reported behaviour is name-calling. Similarly, false rumours and the anonymous message sending unwanted, explicit images have also been a part to play Name calling and false rumours (especially with teenage girls as they are more susceptible to body image could have a huge impact on anyone mental health It could affect their interactions with other people, body image and how they express their emotions

Upon considering and discussing all the facts, anything can contribute to feeling down but school does have a part to play in the rise of poor, teenage mental health Some of these factors include, Bullying, Academic pressure, peer relationships, Cyber bullying and how the global pandemic COVID19 had an impact on poor mental health. For example, 61% of children between 13 – 17 say they feel pressure to get good grades On the controversy 46% of teenage girls in the U S claim they have experienced false rumours and name calling online – which is a form of cyberbullying To sum all these points, I believe that school has a serious impact of teenager's mental health, disregarding everything that can happen outside of school. Mental health is there forever, whether you are an infant or whether you are an adult, so it is important to maintain a healthy one

ALEXA H

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

I chose to do my essay on sportswashing, primarily about the World Cup, because I absolutely love football Furthermore, the huge controversy and many talking points surrounding the Qatar World Cup made it a brilliant topic to write about In addition to this, in Year 7 (2019-20) I wrote an essay about the Qatar World Cup and what I thought about the situation and whether it should go ahead This allowed to reference it in this essay as well as look back on the predictions and viewpoints I made in Year 7

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR CAREER WHEN YOU’RE OLDER?

When I grow up I would like to be an entrepreneur, I have a passion for and love economics and love the prospect of facing the risk and challenges to make it to the top

Furthermore, not being told what to do and being your own man and working for yourself sounds like an idealist lifestyle in my opinion.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE SCHOLARS PROGRAMME?

I love the scholars programme as it provides a wide range of opportunities and learning throughout the year In addition to this, the trips to places such as: Cambridge and Oxford University allow you to explore what University life is like and what you might be stepping into in the coming years

WHAT ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

My primary sport is tennis, so I love to play tennis during spring and summer- especially with friends In addition to this I love playing football as well as going go-karting with my friends

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

One reason I have chosen the essay topic “Should abortion be illegal in the UK?” is that as a young girl of this generation this can affect my life in maybe a not-too-distant future, and I want to understand what positives banning abortion can achieve or consequences it can create Another reason is that this topic has been spoken about all over the news after recent laws being made in other parts of the world, so it is relevant to society right now and needs to be addressed I also love to understand reasoning from many different points of views because everyone has different ideology, and one law can affect many people all in different ways Abortion can be very controversial meaning there is also a lot to talk about to answer this question in depth which I believe is good because it will make each argument stronger

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE SCHOLARS PROGRAMME?

In the scholars’ programme I enjoy the interactive sessions that are quite different to the lessons we have because it offers something new and exciting to do and makes us learn new information in a fun way I also enjoy the trips we go on Last year we visited Cambridge university, we got a tour of the campus and got to explore the area ourselves as well which was very interesting as that is one of the universities I will probably be applying for in the future and I’m looking forward to our Oxford trip this year

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR CAREER WHEN YOU’RE OLDER?

When I am older, I would love to pursue a career in criminal law because I think it would be very exciting job because you never know what case you will have to defend or oppose. Another career I think I would really enjoy is an editor for a fashion magazine such as vogue because fashion and the latest trends has always intrigued me and is a big part of my day-to-day life and I have always been inspired by Anna Wintour.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

I chose my essay topic of how technology and social media impacts the public because I feel that it is a prominent issue in our society Our world is ever evolving and one of the largest developments is technology and, over recent decades, it has manifested itself to be a necessity in people’s everyday lives As a teenager who is growing up in this world, I believe that it’s important to be aware of how social media and electronic devices are affecting the public and their mental health, especially as mental health issues are shown to be consistently increasing in young people

WHAT OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

I enjoy activities such as art and baking or cooking I find that art is a great outlet for me and allows me to express myself in a way that nothing else does Being creative and having something to focus on allows me to escape everyday life and be present in what I’m doing I also like to bake and cook things for my family as I find it relaxing and it allows me to take some time for myself

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL AND WHY?

I wouldn’t say that I have one set role model in my life I like to take inspiration from multiple people around me and use those qualities as my role model and the example I set for myself For example, I value my brother’s resilience and his uplifting advice; I admire my best friend’s caring attitude and how she is always supportive to those around her; I think highly of my teachers’ hard work and how they are always willing to help All of these qualities are what I regard as my role model because they are what I aspire to be

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE SCHOLARS PROGRAMME?

I enjoy how the activities which we partake in are so varied We have experienced sessions ranging from escape rooms, where we used problem solving and initiative, to sessions about how physics acts in sport, where we were able to be actively thinking and learning about the crossover between the two subjects Through the range of sessions in the scholars programme, we are allowed to explore different aspects of school other than the set curriculum and we are given the chance to extend ourselves in our learning

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL AND WHY?

I find Simon Reeve particularly fascinating, as he has been a key member of the Geographic community who has highlighted the importance of both Environmental and Socioeconomic issues in our modern society, through his intriguing travels, which provides in incite to other cultures

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE SCHOLARS PROGRAMME?

The Lingfield Scholars program also provides the opportunity to partake in Academically stimulating talks with teachers, which can establish new interests in our Academic lives The Scholars Trip is always a great highlight, with us visiting Oxford last year, and learning about the university This year we are looking forward to our trip to

Cambridge, which will finally provide us with the chance to visit the best of the two Oxbridge universities

WHAT OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

On top of being a scholar, I have also participated in the Youth Enterprise Project, which is a partnership with NatWest, where we received an investment of £50 to raise at least £1500 for St Catherine’s Hospice in Crawley, which does great work to help those who need it most, so far, we have been fortunate to raise over £1700 Additionally, I enjoy partaking in Model United Nations Conferences, which involves debating global issues, from the perspective of different nations, which is helping me develop my public speaking and presentation skills

CHLOE T ISABELLE S

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

I chose the title ‘To What Extent Have Ethics Affected the Progression of Artificial Intelligence?’ for my EPQ essay this year I have always gravitated towards controversial questions, without black and white answers, because I like to contribute my own opinions to something that many people have questioned I chose to link this to AI because I like reading dystopian novels, which often focus on robots in the future

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR CAREER WHEN YOU’RE OLDER?

I have never had a fixed idea of what I would like to be in the future however currently I would like to be a writer, perhaps for a scientific magazine such as National Geographic

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE SCHOLARS PROGRAMME?

I like the scholars sessions because we get to learn things that are not in the curriculum I liked the trip to Oxford last year because it was interesting exploring the city and looking into a few of the different colleges

WHAT OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

I play netball for the school and out of school for my club, where I play matches almost every weekend I have also always enjoyed running, whether I am competing or just running at the weekend to relax Finally, I play the piano and am currently doing Grade 5 I really like playing the piano because it is something that I can take with me anywhere

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

I decided to write my essay on the topic of the perception of women in sport when I visited the Saachi Museum in London and went to the ‘Women’s Sport through the ages ’ exhibition I was intrigued by some of the shocking facts about Women’s sport in the past For example, women were not allowed to take part in the marathon as it was thought to damage their ovaries and women were banned from playing football until 1971! I then watched the Lionesses win in the Euros and was interested by the huge media attention it had received and decided to write my essay on it.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR CAREER WHEN YOU’RE OLDER?

I do not know what career I would like to go into when I’m older. I do enjoy maths and art so possibly something like architecture, however, I am not completely sure.

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL AND WHY?

I wouldn’t say I have one particular role model, however some people that inspire me are Michelle Obama, Malala and of course David Attenborough In previous years, I have often written my scholars essay about an area of climate change – In year seven I chose to write about Palm oil, and last year, I wrote my essay on the fashion industry and how harmful it is for the environment

WHAT OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

I do a lot of drama outside of school including Glow theatre group, where I am currently rehearsing for Grease as the part of Sandy. I am also part of the Young Oxted Players and have recently played the part of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. Other than drama, I play tennis, hockey and I also play the guitar.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

I chose my essay theme based on the fact that I thought it would be and interesting topic to discuss in an essay and also because the statue of Edward Colston was toppled in 2020

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR CAREER WHEN YOU’RE OLDER?

As a career I would like to do a job in an area of physics but I haven’t yet decided what area I would want to do

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT THE SCHOLARS PROGRAMME?

I am finding the Scholars programme useful as well as enjoyable and I am enjoying the scholars’ sessions

WHAT OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

At school I am involved in Model United Nations but I am not involved in any activity outside of school

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

I chose this essay theme (unconscious bias in conversation) because I have always been interested in women ’ s rights! However, I thought, instead of writing my essay on blatant sexism, which is usually the more written about version of sexism, I thought I would write my essay about unconscious sexism because it is so much more frequently used, and most of the time it isn’t even obvious but it has far more effect than blatant sexism

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR CAREER WHEN YOU’RE OLDER?

After writing my EPQ on unconscious bias, it has encouraged me to think a lot more about peoples’ mindsets and attitudes so I’m considering bringing my career into the field of neuroscience However, I’m also really interested in the modern foreign languages, so I’m planning to take my career in the direction of being a translator for an international company, but ideally, I would like to find a way to combine these two topics so I could have a career in both

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL AND WHY?

My role model is Mary Ann Sieghart, a journalist and author who frequently writes about politics, women ’ s experience of the world, and social matters I met her last year at the Hay Festival when she signed my copy of her book ‘The Authority Gap’, and she was inspiring! In fact, when I did meet her, she corrected my mother on her own unconscious bias, which was amazing

WHAT OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

I am involved in most aspects of school life! I play violin and sing so I am in most of the school concerts, I’m captain of the A team of cricket as well as a netball and hockey player, and outside of school, I am a dedicated member of Banstead cricket club and I volunteer at the charity Oxfam on the weekends to finish off my Bronze DofE I’m also a member of the National Youth Choir, and have recently signed up to be part of the Young Leaders in Cricket programme

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS ESSAY THEME?

I chose this theme for my essay as I thought it would be an interesting topic to research on

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN YOUR CAREER WHEN YOU’RE OLDER?

Right now, I am not entirely sure exactly what I want to be but I know I want to go somewhere involving sports and media

WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL AND WHY?

My role model is my mum as she is one of the most hardworking people I know and tries her very best to be patient She also works extremely hard

WHAT OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE YOU INVOLVED IN?

I am involved in a lot of sport inside and outside of school, playing for hockey, netball and cricket A team and County outside of school