Student mental health: What parents need to know

Families can support their children’s well-being through open communication, strong support systems and modeling healthy behavior – especially around screen time – say mental health experts who recently spoke with Eden Prairie families.

Jessica Mathwig-Olson and Libby Haight from the Washburn Center for Children shared practical advice and strategies with families during evening teacher conferences at Eden Prairie High School on Feb. 27. The event was sponsored by the EPHS Parent-Teacher Organization.

Parents and guardians were also encouraged to pursue mental health first aid training, learn about Cope, Hennepin County’s mobile crisis response service, and ensure that their teenage children have access to the 988 Lifeline text number as a key resource during mental health crises.

Washburn is a nonprofit organization that serves children and families in the Greater Twin Cities area, specializing in mental health care and addressing a variety of needs for children ages birth to 18. Washburn and Eden Prairie Schools have had a close working relationship for 18 years, with Washburn therapists embedded in each school site to provide consistent mental health services.

EPHS counselors Jadyn Biermaier, Jenny Hanson and Lisa Quiring, and EPHS social worker Emily Pulford also attended the event to discuss their roles and how the high school works to support student well-being.

They explained that EPHS uses multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to identify and assist high-needs students. While school counselors and social workers can provide brief, short-term mental health support, they refer students who require more intensive services to Washburn and other mental health providers.

Post-pandemic spike in mental health conditions spurs increased need for services

Mathwig-Olson, the director of school-based services at Washburn and a licensed clinical social worker, said one in five U.S. children are affected by mental health conditions across all races, economic backgrounds, and gender identities. She said that post-pandemic, mental health experts have seen historically high rates of need for children’s mental health professionals and interventions, prompting high demand for support services.

“Specifically, I’m seeing high rates of anxiety and depression, decline in social skills and increased isolation with our youth today,” Mathwig-Olson said, along with “a rise in behavioral concerns, grief and loss issues, increase screen time usage, and digital dependency.”

She said one of the best things parents can do is have open and honest communication with their children about mental health. She stressed it’s also important to model healthy behavior (including limiting digital dependency on phones and other devices), prioritize their own mental health, and normalize seeking help.

She said these high rates of widespread mental health challenges have also highlighted opportunities to increase awareness. Because of the demand for services, positive changes in school responses, such as building curriculum, staffing mental health therapists, and offering peer support groups, have become increasingly common.

Identifying issues, supporting children

Haight, the director of community-based programs at Washburn focusing on mental health crisis services, said that when thinking about mental health, it is important to pay attention to both verbal and nonverbal cues that might indicate a child is struggling.

These could include talking less than usual, sleeping or eating more or less, going through major changes in friendships and relationships, and struggling at school when they may not have previously.

However, she cautioned that there is a difference between developmentally appropriate adolescent behavior and behaviors that might indicate a need for mental health support. For instance, increased moodiness, body image issues, parent-adolescent conflict, and experimentation with substances can be normal adolescent behavior.

Haight said significant decreases in functioning, such as extreme mood swings, self-harm, and inability to function in daily life, are not normal. “These are the kind of things that we would start to want to explore further what’s going on,” she said.

Helping someone who appears to be struggling can begin by noticing their behaviors, listening to what they say, asking about it, and reassuring them regularly that you’re there for them without judgment. Engaging in open conversations with children about their mental health, using “I” statements and listening more than speaking, can be helpful.

Additionally, as parents, Haight said, “One of the most important things we can do is have open and honest conversations about mental health, and that includes being willing to talk about suicide.”

While acknowledging that talking about suicide can feel scary because parents fear it might give their kids ideas, Haight said that by the time kids are in high school, they already know about suicide. “What we want is to make sure that some of that information is coming from you,” she said.

“There is no more important factor in helping prevent teen suicide than having supportive adults available and around to be understanding, to be a listening ear, to validate what people are going through, and to be able to be alongside those people as they’re suffering through their crisis,” she said.

Seeking external help and resources can be key

Haight said that while parents are probably the most important source of support for kids who are struggling, parents don’t need to face it alone. She encouraged families to ask their “village” for help, including schools, coaches, neighbors, and other trusted individuals.

Mental health providers, including Washburn, can also help with therapy and other services. Washburn also helps teens ages 14 to 17 through its Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) program, where, over a six-month period, a series of coping skills is taught through both group and individual therapy.

Haight also suggested that everyone pursue mental health first aid training to build skills for having conversations about mental health and to learn how to support children in crisis. Washburn offers this training, with registration for spring sessions available now available on its website.

Another important local crisis response resource open to the public is Cope, the Hennepin County mobile crisis unit. Cope can come to the home during a crisis, help assess and deescalate the situation, and also recommend further health services if needed, including a trip to the hospital.

Haight also recommended that everyone, especially teens, should know about 988 Lifeline, a free and confidential national suicide and crisis hotline that can be called or texted at 988. Counselors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to talk about mental health struggles, emotional distress, alcohol or drug use concerns, or if a person just needs to talk to someone.

A recording of the full, one hour and 19 minute conversation with Washburn and EPHS staff, including the question and answer session with the audience, can be seen by watching the video, “Student Mental Health: What Parents Need to Know” on Eden Prairie High School’s YouTube channel.