According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), one in five adults living in the United States has a mental illness (2022). Despite the varying complexities and diagnoses associated with students who are navigating mental health issues, there are numerous approaches educators and professionals supporting adult learners can take to…

To allay the increasing rates of serious mental and emotional problems among college students, the author proposes taking a gap year before starting college, which could have potential benefits.

Addressing students' mental health needs has become a growing concern amongst educators and school leaders, as 25% of adolescents are known to be diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Moreover, students in urban contexts are more likely to experience mental health challenges as they face environmental stressors in their communities that stem…

Three weeks after the February 14, 2018, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were killed and 17 more injured, the Florida state legislature passed a bill, which among other things, designated two new roles for each school district: a director of safe schools and a mental health coordinator. These…

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) refers to deliberately harming one's body without the intention of dying. Common methods include skin cutting, scratching, burning, and self-battery. NSSI is currently not listed as a diagnostic category in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), but it is considered a condition for further…

Statistics on K-12 students with mental health challenges almost guarantee that teachers will encounter these students in their classrooms. Educators will be more prepared and successful if they have feasible strategies to promote student well-being and avoid exacerbating existing problems. This article presents research-based classroom practices…

By the second decade of the 21st century, mentally ill youth who committed suicide and sometimes killed others before they killed themselves received considerable attention in the media of the United States. In none of the accounts of these individuals did their literacy lives come up for consideration. This case study details the role of literacy…

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a prevalent psychiatric illness that often first presents at college. If left untreated, BPD can lead to severe disability or fatality. While multiple evidence-based treatments for BPD exist, most are resource intensive and, therefore, difficult to implement at the typical college mental health center.…

Considering that one in five children has or has had a mental disorder in a given year (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010), the demand for mental health services within the school setting is immense. Bibliotherapy can serve as a preventative and responsive treatment for increasing mental health literacy within the school setting. The…

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents and has become a public health concern in the United States. In addition, certain groups of students are more at risk for suicide than others. School counselors have an ethical obligation to protect their students and are in an ideal position to educate students and staff about the risks…

As sociology instructors increasingly include materials on sexual violence in their courses, both instructors and students express anxieties over how best to handle such sensitive conversations. This article critically examines the conventional advice to offer a trigger warning, which can interfere with student education (e.g., requiring survivors…

This article describes the use of collaborative fabric collage based on a neurodevelopmental adaptation for an adult who was being treated for trauma. The case demonstrates the value of thinking about neurodevelopmental factors when creating art therapy interventions. A biologically respectful treatment that offers relational, relevant,…

As the mother of two sons who went through adolescence and a practicing neurologist, Frances E. Jensen offers a valuable perspective on teenage behavior. Dr. Jensen explored the neurological research--including insights gained from recent advances in functional magnetic resonance imaging--and found that the adolescent brain is both more powerful…

Behind every student dealing with a mental health problem is a family trying to grasp what's happening to their child and struggling to do its best. This personal story shares the journey of a family as it confronts a child with Generalized Anxiety and Panic Disorder and describes the many starts and stops and confusion of diagnosing and…

"The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" ("DSM") is useful for children and families for three practical reasons: (1) It provides a way to communicate about emotional and behavioral problems of youth in a common language; (2) Parents can get an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for a child if that process…