July 14th is #semicolonEDU day. It is a day for teachers to talk about Mental Health issues in education. My post from a couple of years ago details the start of #semicolonEDU and my post from three years ago details my battle with mental health issues.
Mental Health issues should not be ignored in education. An estimated 3 million adolescents had a major depressive episode in 2015. That's 12.5% of all children aged 12-17. Almost 10 million adults have dealt with it as well. That's 4% of all over 18 people. Those numbers are simply scary. However, they can be less scary if we embrace these issues and talk about them. The more that people are open about mental health issues, the easier it is to erase the stigma associated with mental health. We need educators and students to know that it is ok to talk about it and share those experiences. Without talking openly, people will hide and think they are alone. As an educator, I can't let that happen.
I'm asking for everyone to do one of the following:
a. Share a picture of a semicolon drawn on you in support of #semicolonEDU and share it on social media using the hash tag.
OR
b. Share a picture and a story if you feel comfortable. The more stories out there, the more people will talk about and feel comfortable sharing their mental health battles.
I hope all of you will share this story and offer support for those willing to share their battle.
Hugs and High Fives,
NP
Mental Health issues should not be ignored in education. An estimated 3 million adolescents had a major depressive episode in 2015. That's 12.5% of all children aged 12-17. Almost 10 million adults have dealt with it as well. That's 4% of all over 18 people. Those numbers are simply scary. However, they can be less scary if we embrace these issues and talk about them. The more that people are open about mental health issues, the easier it is to erase the stigma associated with mental health. We need educators and students to know that it is ok to talk about it and share those experiences. Without talking openly, people will hide and think they are alone. As an educator, I can't let that happen.
I'm asking for everyone to do one of the following:
a. Share a picture of a semicolon drawn on you in support of #semicolonEDU and share it on social media using the hash tag.
OR
b. Share a picture and a story if you feel comfortable. The more stories out there, the more people will talk about and feel comfortable sharing their mental health battles.
I hope all of you will share this story and offer support for those willing to share their battle.
Hugs and High Fives,
NP
Thanks for sharing this. This issue is so important and is never going away. What we can change is broad public ignorance on this issue. Together, each of us shining our own little bit of light on this can make a huge difference. As teachers we need to make make mental illness education a key part of k-12 curriculum. john.hallowitz@gmail.com
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