Psychological Barriers

Students learn to cope with mental health through communication, acceptance

Phoebe Miller ’23 Associate Managing Editor *Name has been changed to protect anonymity

As her fingers slide across her phone, the colored squares move perfectly into place. *Sara feels momentary relief, if only for an instant.

Sara is a Staples junior who struggled with her mental health and finding ways to cope with her feelings. There are numerous ways that individuals can cope with their mental health. However, one of the things that she found she likes to do is play puzzles on her phone, such as Block Puzzle and Ilovehue, as outlets when she is under stress.

“I was very much in control of all of the pieces coming together,” she said. “It also just builds confidence in yourself that you’re able to kind of take control again.”

Sara was diagnosed with clinical depression around the time COVID-19 began and feels that the loneliness of quarantine exacerbated her symptoms.

“I struggled a lot with maintaining relationships and being productive, and kind of just motivating myself to do anything, like social or even school work and things like that,” Sara said.

Melissa Sportini, a Staples licensed master social worker and Teen Talk counselor from Kids in Crisis, said there are an infinite number of ways to deal with mental health. These vary from unhealthy and healthy.

“Life can be stressful so it’s important to be aware of the individual ways we cope with life’s challenges,” Sportini said. “Our coping mechanisms can have a direct effect on our mental health and our ability to tolerate distressing emotions.”

Coping mechanisms are ways that people deal with heavy feelings of stress, according to Sportini. They provide individuals a way to adjust to challenges they may be facing.

Before Sara learned of more positive coping mechanisms, she struggled with feeling in con trol of her life and began to rely on more destructive ways to deal with her emotions.

“I used to think that further isolating myself to focus on myself was a good way for me to cope,” Sara said. “I kind of just thought, ‘Oh I need to take time for myself,’ and then in that time for myself, I just wasn’t able to bring myself to do anything, or to take care of myself, so it was kind of like just fueling the fire.”

It is common for people, especially young adults, to want to be alone when dealing with mental health issues. However, there are better ways for one to deal with their emotions.

“[A person can] put on lotion that smells good, spend time in nature, take a bath, drink tea or take care of [their] body in a way that makes [them] feel good,” Sportini said, “such as painting your nails, doing your hair, putting on a face mask.”

But one of the most simple yet effective ways for someone to cope with issues they are dealing with is to talk to someone else. This is something that both Sportini and Sara agree Gen-Z has done a good job at: reducing the stigma of a topic that was previously viewed as taboo.

“People understand that it’s not just an emotional thing, it’s not just a phase, it’s an actual illness,” Sara said. “More people are becoming more comfortable talking about it.”

Sportini works with students at Staples every day to provide free, confidential counseling services. “In my role, I have the privilege to see students make meaningful changes every day to improve their mental health,” Sportini said. “I am awed by my students’ efforts and commitment to improving their ability to cope with life’s challenges.”

While beginning the mental health recovery journey can be difficult and intimidating, Sara believes that starting small can provide a clearer path to recovery, so healthy coping mechanisms are utilized, rather than harmful ones.

“Take a step back and calm down [...] try and find what they need right in that moment, do they need to go and talk to someone, do they need physical touch,” Sara said. “Start slow, start in the moment, and then start working towards ways to pick themselves back up.”

Q & A

School support systems discuss vital role in student well-being

Ava Cordella ’24 Opinions Editor

High school can be a challenging time for students as they tackle academic pressure and social and emotional changes. Luckily, Staples is equipped with faculty who are highly willing and qualified to support students in any area they may need. Guidance counselor Deborah Slocum, nurse Kristen McGrath and social worker Kathryn Brown provide insight towards coping mechanisms.

Q: How do you support students at Staples?

McGrath: We try to support students at Staples by providing a safe space to come to if they need to rest and regroup. We can also lend an ear and help them work through something whether it is academic, physical, social or emotional.

Slocum: SHS counselors focus on three domains: academic, college/career and social-emotional [...]. Counselors also attend 504, IEP and response to intervention meetings to support students who are struggling or have an identified disability.

Brown: The majority of my time is spent meeting with students for counseling sessions to help support them with any stressors they may be experiencing.

Q: Why do you find it important for students to seek help when they need it?

McGrath: It is important for all people to seek help when they feel they need it rather than try to push through something. Often there are easier solutions. [...] It’s okay to ask for help. In fact, sometimes just talking about an issue can make it seem much smaller.

Slocum: Nothing is more important than a student’s well-being. [...] The most important message is that if a student is concerned about themselves or a friend, there are resources available and we encourage them to reach out to their individual counselor or stop by the Counseling Suite as a starting point.

Brown: If a student is willing to seek support when things start to become difficult or overwhelming, it can prevent a manageable challenge from having a more significant negative effect on academics, personal life, family life, etc. We are all here to support students, and we want to hear from you if you’re struggling.