According to a recent survey, more than one-third of Vermont high school students and one-fifth of middle school students reported having recently suffered from mental health issues. LGBTQ+, students of color, and female students were even more likely to be depressed or anxious than their heterosexual, cisgender, and male counterparts.
The 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, conducted by the Vermont Department of Health, polled more than 17,000 students. The survey highlighted trends in mental health challenges, substance use, and disparities among specific student populations.
Heather Bouchey, deputy secretary of the Education Agency, acknowledges the state’s lack of preparedness to initially assess the impact the pandemic would have on students.
“We did not anticipate the scale of the mental health crisis and the associated challenges our young people would face,” Bouchey said.
Pandemic-induced measures, such as distance learning and enforced isolation, disrupt older students’ support systems most of all, Bouchey said.
“We were aware that an inability to spend time with friends was likely to impact their isolation, especially for older children and adolescents. However, we underestimated the extent of the mental health crisis,” said Bouchey .
LBGTQ+ and female students report higher rates of mental ill health.
LGBTQ+ girls and students report significantly higher rates of mental ill health than boys and heterosexual students.
“Girls and young women often had higher rates of depression and anxiety, more internalized mental health issues than boys that went back decades and decades,” Bouchey said. “We already have these gaps between girls and boys. We’ve also known for a long time that students who identify as LGBTQ+ struggle in school.”
Director of the Child, Adolescent, and Family Unit at the Vermont Department of Mental Health Laurel Omland said there could be a few reasons behind these disparities: “Women tend to internalize more,” Omland said. “Girls might actually report a few more things than boys.”
According to survey data, 49% of girls and 59% of LGBTQ+ students reported having mental health issues “most of the time” or “always,” compared to an overall response rate of 35%.
The survey results are in line with national trends, in which female students experience higher rates of violence, mental health problems, suicidal thoughts and substance use than their male peers. Similarly, LGBTQ+ students face more violence, mental distress and bullying than their heterosexual counterparts.
Another difference is access to resources between rural and urban areas, which makes it more difficult for rural populations, adults and children and adolescents to access mental health services.
Rural areas of Vermont face particular challenges in accessing mental health services. Omland and Bouchey recognize that efforts are needed to close the gap in access to services for rural youth compared to non-rural children.
“If there really is a gap, which wouldn’t be surprising, we need to develop a statewide strategy to address it,” Bouchey said. Statewide strategies are being developed to address this challenge and ensure that mental health services are available to all students, regardless of their geographic location.
Social media offers refuge and risk
Approximately 30% of high school students and 57% of middle school students in Vermont spend three or more hours a day on technology, regardless of school activities. A third of these students identify as LGBTQ+.
Omland says social media is important for creating empowerment spaces for students and implementing programs to support their mental health.
“I love seeing the creative ways young people come together, express themselves and connect with others. These spaces and youth-led initiatives can be incredibly helpful,” said Omland.
Omland also said that while social media can provide a platform for connection and support, it can also exacerbate depression and anxiety.
The Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health reports that adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media are twice as likely to experience poor mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, body dissatisfaction, eating behaviors messy, social comparison, and low self-esteem.
What are Vermont schools doing?
Omland has again highlighted the importance of creating affirmation spaces and implementing programs to support student mental health.
Bouchey said the state has allocated funds to support mental health initiatives in schools and districts. One such program provides grants to local education agencies, allowing them to choose improvements that meet the specific needs of schools.
Other funds, the Esser funds, went to pay for a study program called “Equity”. The program has kindergarten lessons for 12 teachers and really engaging materials that can be used in everyday activities.
Workforce shortages present a challenge in providing mental health support to students. Omland said schools are working to recruit and retain mental health professionals, including school doctors, behavioral interventionists and related staff.
Moreover:A scholarship will pay psychology graduate students to work as counselors in K-12 schools in Vermont
The Success Beyond Six program in Vermont allows schools to use Medicaid dollars more flexibly to fund needed services in schools.
“We know that having a school doctor in every school, at least one, really is one of the most powerful ways to address student mental health and well-being. It’s just that sometimes, like I said, the workforce isn’t. some smaller places, this was a really great opportunity for Medicaid-qualifying students to leverage their resources through Medicaid to actually get them the mental health services they need,” Bouchey said.
In extreme cases, Mental Health Crisis Lines and Suicide Prevention Safety Lines are an option. Vermont’s Crisis Text Line program offers free 24/7 support by sending a “VT” text message to 741-741, with qualified crisis counselors responding within 5 minutes. Since its launch in November 2016, the program has had 53% of users identify as LGBTQ+ and 55% are between the ages of 14 and 24.
Contact Free Press staff writer Isabella Infante at [email protected]
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