User:Kenna.quattro/Mental health in education

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Mental Health in Education:

Anxiety:

Students with anxiety disorders are statistically less likely to attend college than those without it, and those with social phobias are twice as likely to fail a grade or not finish high school as compared to students without the condition. Anxiety disorders are typically more difficult to recognize than disruptive behavior disorders, such as ADHD, because the symptoms are internalized. Anxiety may manifest as recurring fears and worries about routine parts of everyday life, avoiding activities, school or social interactions, and it can interfere with the ability to focus and learn.

There is a specific character that people with anxiety often experience. People with anxiety experience frequent worries and fears about everyday situations. Anxiety can also be identified as a sudden feeling of intense fear or terror that can reach a peak within minutes. These anxiety symptoms typically develop during childhood or teen years and may continue into adulthood. Some examples of symptoms include: feeling nervous, restless or tense, having a sense of impending danger, panic, or doom, having an increased heart rate, breathing rapidly, sweating, trembling, feeling weak or tired, trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry, having trouble sleeping, experiencing gastrointestinal problems, having difficulty controlling worry, or having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety.

There are multiple types of anxieties that each present with unique symptoms. The most common type of anxiety is Generalized Anxiety Disorder, which presents with persistent and excessive worry that interferes with daily activities, feeling on edge/fatigued, worries about everyday things, and can cause physical symptoms, such as restlessness. Panic disorders are characterized by recurrent panic attacks, cause physical and psychological distress, and panic attacks, which consist of palpitations, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, and a fear of dying. People with phobias experience excessive and persistent fear of objects or situations that are generally not harmful. Fear is excessive, which patients are aware of. Examples of phobias can include public speaking, spiders, or flying. Social anxiety disorder is a condition where people have significant anxiety about being embarrassed, so they will avoid situations that could cause embarrassment. An example of a situation that would be avoided would be eating or drinking in public. Finally, separation anxiety disorder is characterized by excessive fear or anxiety about separation which can cause functioning problems. People may be worried about leaving others and may have attachment issues.

Treatments for anxiety can include medications, such as antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, sedatives (such as benzodiazepines), and beta blockers. These medications function to relieve short-term anxiety, but are not meant to be used as long-term solutions. Cognitive behavioral therapy is the most efficient form of treatment and is used as a short-term treatment. This therapy focuses on teaching specific skills for coping in order to improve symptoms. This can include exposure therapy, which increases exposure to potential triggers and is used to treat phobias.

Depression:

Depression can cause students to have problems in class, from completing their work, to even attending class at all. In 2020, approximately 13% of youth aged 12 to 17 years old have had one major depressive episode (MDE) in the past year, with an overwhelming 70% left untreated. According to the National Center for Mental Health Checkups at Columbia University, "High depression scores have been associated with low academic achievement, high scholastic anxiety, increased school suspensions, and decreased ability or desire to complete homework, concentrate, and attend classes." Depression symptoms can make it challenging for students to keep up with course loads, or even find the energy to make it through the full school day.

Depression can be defined as a multi-problematic medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, think, and act. The symptoms of depression can cause disturbances with interpersonal, social, and occupational functioning. This can later lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. This can also decrease the ability to function mentally and physically. Some examples of depression symptoms are feeling sad, loss of interest, changes in appetite, trouble sleeping, loss of energy, increase in purposeless physical activity, feeling worthless, difficulty in thinking, concentrating, or making decisions, and thoughts of death or suicide. These symptoms must usually last two weeks and also represent a change in functioning in order for a diagnosis of depression.

Treatments for depression can include normothymic drugs, antidepressant drugs (which have significant side effects), solving unresolved conflicts, relaxation, light therapy, sleep deprivation therapy, electroconvulsive therapy, as well as cognitive behavioral therapy. Depression treatments need to be aimed at long-term treatment because depression can reoccur if not completely treated. Medications are better short-term treatments, while cognitive behavioral therapy is typically used as a more long-term treatment.

ADHD:

Attention disorders are the principal predictors of diminished academic achievement. Students with ADHD tend to have trouble mastering behaviors and practices demanded of them by the public education system in the United States, such as the ability to quietly sit still or to apply themselves to one focused task for extended durations. ADHD can mean that students have problems concentrating, filtering out distracting external stimuli, and seeing large tasks through to completion. These students can also struggle with time management and organization. Symptoms of ADHD can include inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and other internalizing symptoms, such as depression.

ADHD stands for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. This is considered as one of the most common mental disorders for children, however it affects many adults as well. Some examples of symptoms are not paying attention to details and making careless mistakes, having problems of staying focused on activities, not being able to be seen as listening, having problems in organizing, avoiding tasks, and forgetting daily tasks. These symptoms can cause a disturbance in the education of the affected student as well as other students in the class.

Treatments for ADHD can include behavioral therapy, medications (both stimulants and nonstimulants), education about ADHD, and training for parents on how to care for their affected children.

Bullying:

Bullying in schools can cause adverse effects on students. Academic outcomes for bullied youth are typically below normal. Bullying is associated with a lower grade point average (GPA), lower achievement test scores, and lower teacher-rated academic engagement. Students who become victims of bullying can experience difficulties with social-emotional functioning and they have more difficulty making friends. This also causes poor relationships with peers and classmates which can cause them to feel lonely. Feeling like an outcast, feeling lonely, and being shut out of friend groups can cause students to feel isolated, which can cause anxiety and depression. These conditions come with their own unique implications as far as school goes.

References:

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/anxiety-disorders/what-are-anxiety-disorders

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350967

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022395612003573?casa_token=y1WwjB78X4cAAAAA:umgpseRA1ngLYhEXSFEowIG2sQG9vcwgc84mH_dS8H3NzPKH3OtxasncrFUKFEyRLTMbWjBEBek

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279282/

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.31887/DCNS.2006.8.2/fduval

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10567-016-0216-z

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/treatment.html

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2158244015623593