How to support the mental health and well-being of young people in the midst of school violence concerns

School shootings have become an unfortunate part of life in America. According to the Everytown for Gun Safety Fund, there have been at least 178 incidents of school shootings nationwide so far this year. That doesn’t count threats targeting schools which disrupt the school day and cause anxiety among teachers and students.

As the area of ​​St. Louis notices it the second anniversary of the school shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School, addressing youth mental health is an important issue for educators, administrators, and mental health professionals.

Behavioral Health Response Chief Clinical Officer Bart Andrews said St. Louis in the Air that school shootings are a fear that previous generations did not have to worry about. That said, supporting young people with depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder starts with the adults in their lives modeling good coping strategies.

“This is why, when we work with parents, we say, ‘Even though you’ve been affected by this, even though this hurts, it’s important that you model resilience for your children,'” Andrews said. “Our natural response is to be very anxious, to protect and to go in and do things [for our children]. We agree that you will have strong feelings and negative experiences related to this [event] because that is nature. At the same time, we need to model health strategies and model that, ‘You’re going to get through this.’

Andrews said young people are more open to discussing mental health than generations before them, but she has concerns about how young people learn about mental health, especially if they receive information from see on social media.

He said: “There is so much rubbish on TikTok and Facebook and Instagram about mental illness that we have kids diagnosing themselves with mental illnesses that they don’t have.” “[Social media is] alleviating negative emotions and [suggests] Anyone with a bad mood has a mental health problem. That is not true in any way, shape or form. ”

The way society perceives the natural response to trauma and anxiety, Andrews added – and compares mental health problems to medical problems – can complicate discussions about mental health.

“Medical conditions are not culturally bound in the same way as mental health conditions. Mental health conditions can be transmitted through social trauma,” said Andrews. “We need to change the misconceptions. Please don’t self-diagnose if you think you have a mental illness. Please get a professional opinion.”

Finally, Andrews advocates that more attention be paid to make young people feel welcome and develop a sense of belonging.

He said: “We really need to look at this feeling of isolation, the feeling of being lost, the feeling that ‘the future is doom and gloom’ that our young people are facing. “Many young people feel .. .they are cut off from the world around them. That sense of isolation is not very dangerous.”

For more ways to address youth mental health, including Bart Andrews’ thoughts on what the media should do to end the widespread anxiety surrounding school shootings, listen St. Louis in the Air to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or click the play button below.

“St. Louis in the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our neighborhood. The show is produced by Mia Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Jada Jones is our production assistant. A sound engineer is Aaron Doerr.