Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-1-2020
Abstract
There is a strong connection between students’ social- emotional health and academic success. Students with strong social-emotional skills have been shown to possess increased capacity to learn, improved life outcomes, and decreased risk for mental health problems. Currently, almost 25% of children are estimated to experience a mental or behavioral health problem in a given year. If left untreated, these issues are often exacerbated and can increase in severity, leading to worsened outcomes for children. Schools are increasingly becoming the central location for children to access mental health services due to barriers that interfere with families receiving support from community-based mental health providers. Thus, it is essential that schools have the capacity to meet the social-emotional and behavioral health needs of students. This is increasingly relevant in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, which has resulted in many students experiencing uncertainty, fear, and rapid change. The effects of isolation and uncertainty -have resulted in an increase of students experiencing mental health problems. For example, over 20% of children in China have experienced anxiety/depression after one month in quarantine. With the return of students to school in the fall, whether that be in hybrid, staggered, fully face-to face, or fully online format, there is an urgency for educators to be prepared to meet the social-emotional needs of students.
Scholar Commons Citation
Durango, Sarahy and von der Embse, Nathaniel, "Supporting the Social-Emotional Wellbeing of Students During a Time of Stress" (2020). Policy Brief. 5.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/anchin_policy_brief/5
