MENTAL HEALTH AND EDUCATION

Mental health is fundamentally related to emotional, psychological, and social well-being. This affects how we think, feel and act. It can also determine how you manage stress, interact with others, and make healthy choices — an important part of our lives, from childhood to adulthood.

Poor mental health could be caused by various issues such as working for long hours, economic hardship, educational challenges leading to poor grades, body shaming, sexual and emotional abuse, and chronic diseases which could lead to depression.

Depression is a severe medical health crisis that could affect one’s mental health. Symptoms of depression comprises lasting sadness, anxiety or empty mood, feeling hopeless or negative, feeling rebellious, easily frustrated or restless, feeling guilty or worthless, having no interest or concern in recreational activities, suicide attempts, or thoughts of death.

Research has shown that a child’s mental health is closely related to his or her education and can affect it positively or negatively depending on how it is managed.

Mental health crises can influence various areas of students’ lives, lowering their quality of life, educational accomplishments, and physical health, and negatively influencing relationships with colleagues and family members. These problems can have long-term impacts on students, affecting their future careers, achieving their potential, and overall health.

Mental health crises can also influence a student’s energy level, focus or attention, reliability, mental proficiency, and positive news while impeding their performance. Research has shown that depression is closely related to low grades. Depression has also been related to dropping out of school. Imagine that a student burns the night and deprives himself or herself of sleep to prepare for an examination only to fail at the end of the day, this could lead to so much thinking and depression is likely to step in.

In summary, mental health difficulties can interfere with a student’s academic pursuit if managed
poorly but there are ways students can curb these problems which include:
● Rest: getting enough sleep not only helps to reduce stress but leads to a healthy body.
● Socialize: it is important to fix some time and socialize with friends. It relieves stress.
● Make time for fun with friends.
● Go easy on yourself: it’s okay if everything cannot be achieved at once. Don’t beat yourself up, but rather take time and identify the problems and how to deal with them.
● Ask for help from friends and family.