Heath Classes in American Public Schools: Where They Fail

Many American high schoolers can relate to the grueling experience of the health class. Characterized by shallow lessons, poor teaching, and easy A’s; it’s no surprise students easily pass while, in reality, fail when faced with real-life situations.

In order to graduate, all high-schoolers must pass health. At my school, the gym teachers taught health topics alongside their physical education course. While a teacher may have a general understanding of mental-health topics such as PTSD, anxiety, and eating disorders, they were not able to provide the needed resources and information to those who were at-risk of these illnesses. The topic of mental health was taught through a cold, distant lens. Pertinent mental conditions that many of our peers struggled with were only recognized by their definition and symptoms. The videos shown were outdated, painting mental-illnesses as things that only a few people experienced. It was clear that our health teacher wasn’t properly equipped with resources to educate us, leading to a devoid of information.

Teenagers in America are facing a mental-health crisis. The CDC reports that during the COVID-19 pandemic, 44.2% of teenagers reported feeling “persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness”. Additionally, more than half of parents and caregivers have voiced concern regarding their child’s mental-state. The CDC suggests that schools “foster school connectiveness” to help alleviate these staggering statistics. One way of doing so is putting school wide programs in place to educate students on social and emotional well-being.

The health class is the first place to implement these conversations. Mental health professionals could lead class conversations and help identify the causes of mental disorders like anxiety and depression. Leading conversations about mental health in a non-judgmental, open manner is vital in helping students feel comfortable asking for help. Additionally, instructors could lead discussions regarding student’s mental state, reducing the stigma of mental health. Health classes could also provide students with resources to seek out help or cope with mental health struggles.

Topics like eating disorders and nutrition should also be taught by a professional. I’ve heard stories of students having to calculate their caloric intake for their health class, causing them to spiral into an eating disorder. While mindful eating is an important skill, labeling certain foods as “bad” or “good” is extremely harmful. Shaming those who eat a certain way only fosters destructive habits fueled by anxiety. Furthermore, comments regarding weight, body-weight, shape, and size should be excluded when talking about food and nutrition.

Recently, efforts to improve mental-health curriculum have slowly been made. More and more schools are starting to advocate for their student’s mental-well being. For example, hiring more mental-health professionals and encouraging students to ask for help. Joe Biden's administration has also launched two actions which provide over $500 million to further support mental-health services in U.S. schools.

Even though these efforts are being taken at a snail's pace, it’s a step in the right direction. All students deserve the resources they need to succeed and we can only hope that future health classes provide that.

Resources:

• “Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey — United States, January–June 2021.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 Apr. 2022.

• Hippe, Hannah. “Why Mental Health Should Be Taught in School.” Nystrom & Associates, 30 Mar. 2022, https://www.nystromcounseling.com/school/why-mental-health-should-be-taught-in-school/.

• “New Apa Poll Shows Sustained Anxiety among Americans; More than Half of Parents Are Concerned About.” Psychiatry.org - New APA Poll Shows Sustained Anxiety Among Americans; More than Half of Parents Are Concerned About, 2 May 2021, https://www.psychiatry.org/newsroom/news-releases/new-apa-poll-shows-sustained-anxiety-among-americans-more-than-half-of-parents-are-concerned-about-the-mental-well-being-of-their-children.

• Novak, Dan and Gundy, Dorothy. “ARE US Schools Doing Enough for Mental Health?” VOA, Are US Schools Doing Enough for Mental Health?, 23 Aug. 2022, https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/are-us-schools-doing-enough-for-mental-health-/6709175.html.

• “School Can Trigger Eating Disorders for Some Students.” Rogers Behavioral Health, 13 Sept. 2011, https://rogersbh.org/about-us/newsroom/blog/school-can-trigger-eating-disorders-some-students.

• Truong, University of California – Berkeley March 3rd, Alexa. “Cross-Cultural Perspectives: Food, Culture, and Weight Gain.” Spoon University, 3 Mar. 2021, https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/cross-cultural-perspectives-food-culture-and-weight-gain.