The Psychological Risks of Schooling
Every individual is exposed to different emotions daily, but school is where the psyche is most at risk. It all begins in first grade: even at this age, children become accustomed to being constantly evaluated and ranked. They eventually learn to define their lives within the rigid and narrow framework of grades, percentiles, and rankings. As a result, schoolchildren and perfectionist students will see any success as a failure because whatever they do could have been done better. Society-imposed perfectionism undermines mental health, and it is vital to communicate to children that failure is normal.
Building a Supportive Educational Environment
The school environment is integral to a child’s future success, and when there is a sense of friendliness and respect for everyone, students see that they are valued. It develops self-esteem, boosts self-confidence, and allows them to focus on learning and healthy relationships with others. The student’s mental health should be in the first place in every educational institution because the level of psychological comfort determines the result and allows one to form a mature, full-fledged, versatile personality.
The Importance of Psychological Comfort in Classrooms
The way of school life and the organization of the educational process should be subordinated to the goal of creating psychological comfort in the classroom. Psychologists characterize a child’s transition from kindergarten to school as especially difficult in emotional and personal development (Raines, 2019). Classical pedagogy, numerous recent publications, the practice of school life, and professional and parental experience suggest that schooling should bring children joy, a desire to learn about the world, and proceed against a background of positive emotions, excluding psycho-traumatic situations.
Consequences of Mental Health Neglect in Schools
For 85% of all underachieving children, the main reason for falling behind in school is poor mental health and insecurity, generated by frequent reproaches at school and home (Hoover & Bostic, 2021). Schoolchildren should be happy to go to school every morning and feel pleasant and comfortable in class. The results will be more profitable in the classroom, and the personalities will develop harmoniously.
The Harm of Coercive Pedagogical Practices
Pedagogy based on coercion creates a fear in all participants of the pedagogical process of being unsuccessful, publicly sanctioned, or ridiculed. The desire for domination and power often serves as an excuse for the best pedagogical intentions (Duong et al., 2021). However, every school should work for the benefit of the children while putting their psychological comfort first. Work constructed with attention to the psychological features of schoolchildren will make it possible to avoid anxiety, depression, and aggression, which are increasingly present in the psychological portrait of children of preschool and school age (Fazel & Kohrt, 2019).
A Call for Human-Centered Educational Reform
Painful experiences of the child in connection with derogatory epithets and the fear of being unsuccessful against the background of reduced functional capabilities promote the formation of painful mental disorders. Therefore, along with the search for new pedagogical technologies, which are associated primarily with integrity, humanization, and a person-centered approach, the modern school must help children realize their educational needs and their human origin and develop a positive worldview system.
Bridging the Gap Between Awareness and Action
This goal is achievable; to fulfill it, it is crucial to deliver the essence of mental health to every teacher and parent. Some parents, though they acknowledge that their child experiences psychological difficulties occasionally, do not take the necessary steps. They fear that by immersing themselves in the problem, they may, for example, find out that their child has some sort of medical diagnosis – in turn, this will force the child to face the stigma (Fazel & Kohrt, 2019). However, the problem is that prejudice prevents them from noticing signs of stress and other serious issues and finding a way to solve them.
The Role of Open Dialogue in Mental Health Support
Schools often face this kind of prejudice, but if parents and teachers can start talking to children about mental health, giving it the same importance as academic success, it will teach the child to accept support and ask for help when needed. Psychological discomfort at school manifests itself in children’s poorer academic performance. At the same time, a harmonious atmosphere in which all students feel calm and harmonious will contribute to the individual’s overall development.
References
Duong, M. T., Bruns, E. J., Lee, K., Cox, S., Coifman, J., Mayworm, A., & Lyon, A. R. (2021). Rates of mental health service utilization by children and adolescents in schools and other common service settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 48, 420-439.
Fazel, M., & Kohrt, B. A. (2019). Prevention versus intervention in school mental health. The Lancet Psychiatry, 6(12), 969-971. Web.
Hoover, S., & Bostic, J. (2021). Schools as a vital component of the child and adolescent mental health system. Psychiatric services, 72(1), 37-48. Web.
Raines, J. C. (Ed.). (2019). Evidence-based practice in school mental health: Addressing DSM-5 disorders in schools. Oxford University Press. Web.