May is mental health awareness month. While every day should usher in opportunities to support each others’ emotional well-being, this month we shine a spotlight on mental health issues in the hopes of destigmatizing these diagnoses and supporting those in need.

There’s never been a more relevant time for these reflections. Data from a CDC study that surveyed nearly 2,000 students demonstrate that mental health is worsening for all adolescents, but in particular for girls. The investigators reported, “America’s teen girls are engulfed in a growing wave of sadness, violence, and trauma.” Mental health emergency room visits for this age group are at an all-time high, and study respondents reported an alarming 25% of girls had at one point devised a suicide plan. In the past two years, the number of ER visits for suicide attempts in girls has increased more than 50%.

It’s no secret that pandemic-driven social isolation and elimination of major milestone celebrations contributed to teenagers’ misery. On a national scale, political and racial unrest can make the future seem chaotic and unpredictable, which only fuels the disquiet that we all feel when we watch the news. Aside from existential unease, the internet provides a source of very real and personal danger. The anonymity of online hate speech grants access to trolls spewing hostile rancor at individuals or marginalized groups. For teenagers who are, developmentally, establishing a personal identity, these assaults can disrupt the natural rhythm of this evolution, and can leave lasting scars.

But even neutral content on the internet can be damaging. The beauty standards set by celebrities on social media demand an unrealistic norm. Photoshopping and air-brushing enhance faces and bodies of posters and set an expectation that perfection is the baseline. Some social media scrollers spend upwards of 6 hours a day on these apps, and could see hundreds or even thousands of photos of models and influencers every day, and they internalize these unattainable beauty ideals, generating dissatisfaction with their own imperfections, no matter how minor. Results of a study out of Ontario by the American Psychological Association demonstrated that teen girls who took even a three-week break from social media reported “vastly improved” self-image.

No one is immune to these effects, as evidenced by the rising incidence of eating disorders and mood conditions in both boys and girls. While perhaps not as dire as the girls’ situation, the statistics surrounding adolescent boys’ mental health are daunting as well. And as the line between genders fades to a spectrum, the conversation will evolve to reflect the additional stressors that contribute to all adolescent mental health disorders. But even faced with these worsening facts and figures, we are not without hope.

The theme of 2023’s Mental Health Awareness month is “Look around, look within.” It’s a reminder that while many stressors come from outside sources, there are internal factors, like genetics, as well. Recognition that we are humans with faults can go a long way toward cultivating acceptance and tolerance. This year’s theme should also prompt us to look around at others to see what they need, and search within ourselves to recognize ways we can help bridge that gap. Examining the important role of mental health, particularly in the lives of developing young minds in the digital age, is a worthwhile endeavor.

From UH Pediatrician and PSI Medical Expert – Dr. Carly Wilbur.

Click here for more great insights from Dr. Wilbur.

Did you miss the free webinar on “What educators and parents need to know about the Netflix Series, 13 Reasons Why”? Click here for a listing of all of our free webinars that you can watch.

In late 2016, in the wake of more tragedies and more teen suicides in Academy School District 20 in Pueblo, CO, News5 interviewed PSI Expert, Dr. Scott Poland with the goal to put a stop to teen suicide in their community.

Dr. Scott Poland, a licensed psychologist who is internationally recognized as an expert on youth suicide is one of the national experts D-20 is working with as they deal proactively with this crisis.  Our thoughts go out to this community.  Watch two videos with Dr. Scott Poland covered by KOAA in Colorado.

KOAA.com | Continuous News | Colorado Springs and Pueblo

KOAA.com | Continuous News | Colorado Springs and Pueblo

PSI employees were energized again in an afternoon session led by PSI Fall Meeting keynote speaker William J. DeMeo. This time, DeMeo presented on differentiating instruction in the classroom.

Leading off with an engaging introduction video, participants were left with some mportant messages, including the need to look beyond classroom walls to see what awaits our students and that teachers need to be the innovator, motivator, and facilitator of learning.

Attendees then participated in activities lead by DeMeo, including active learning activities like think-pair-share discussion and silent partner writing. With think-pair-share, learners are able to think for themselves, share their ideas with a partner, and ultimately discuss with the entire group. Silent partner writing involves writing down thoughts and questions about a picture, quotation, or discussion question. Partners pass the paper they write on back and forth and engage in a conversation without using spoken words.

DeMeo also stressed the importance of flexible grouping in the classroom. Flexible grouping allows teachers to group their students by three group types: flexible, which includes readiness and learning style; ability/aptitude groups; and cooperative groups. Flexible groupings can be done with the whole class or just half of the class, in teams, in student-led small groups, and with partners.

As with many activities in the classroom, some students will finish their work ahead of their peers. The same can hold true with flexible groupings, and DeMeo says that teachers can provide anch
or activities an learning stations for students to complete when the assigned task is complete. Anchor activities provide meaningful work for students when they are finished with an assigned task or when they are stumped and waiting for teacher assistance. Anchor activities also provide ongoing tasks that tie to content and instruction. Some examples of anchor activities include investigations, vocabulary work, magazine articles with generic questions, journals and learning logs, silent reading, activity boxes, and learning packets.

While DeMeo left participants with a variety of classroom activities to try out with their students, he also asked them why differentiate? He discussed with participants that the student population is not the same as it was 50 years ago, and that families have also changed over time. Passive learning, like lectures, reading, and even audiovisual are not as effective with today’s students. The current student population learns best by teaching others and using their learning immediately, practicing by doing, and having group discussions.

Individualizing student instruction will allow students to reach their full potential. DeMeo left participants with a question to ponder: Will one size fits all curriculum be effective (if it ever was)?