OPINIONS
Mental Health Days at CHS Why CHS should consider mental health days as excused absences SONIA PATIL investigations editor
SANIYA LAUNGANI
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social media manager
As a result, this normalized Exhausted, distracted, and stress instills the mindoverworked—sometimes a day off set that constant of school is what feels right. But how productivity is do you take n e c one without essary. It seeming becomes a like you are competition of ditchstruggle between i n g ? one another—when H o w confiding in someone c a n about your three tests o t h e r s coming up, they respond see you genwith the two essays, three tests, and uinely need it? lab report they have. In this process, Not all teachers are prepared stress can feel invalidated, and to reschedule tests and make-up when more serious mental health assignments without what is a “valissues start to come into play, such id excuse”. Additionally, students types of conversations set harmful are often pressured to conceal attitudes in stutheir true reasons IF YOU BREAK dents’ minds. for absence due Outside of to certain stigmas YOUR ANKLE OR HAVE surrounding men- THE FLU, YOUR PAR- academics, stutal health. Said ENTS SEND A NOTE. BUT dents face numerous stressors California Senator IF YOU’RE HOME WITH at home, work, or Anthony Portantino, “It’s really a DEPRESSION OR ANX- other outside matflaw in the educa- IETY, IT’S NOT TREAT- ters. Those who have to take care tion code. If you ED THE SAME WAY of family or work break your ankle have no option to shorten their time or have the flu, your parents on such activities. The pandemic send a note. But if you’re put an overwhelming mental toll on home with depression students; according to the Center or anxiety, it’s not for Disease Control and Prevention, treated the same m e n tal health emergency way. The district hospital visits among doesn’t h a v e kids 12 to 17 years to recognize it.” old escalated 31%. StuAs mental health dents often issues among students brush off matcontinue to increase, ters concerning it is clear that there is mental illness an issue at large. States and overwhelmincluding Utah have aling stress beready begun to considcause they are er mental or behavioral not prioritized health as a valid excused over grades, athabsence for all students. letic performance, Starting in January, Illinois or other extracurricgovernor Jay Robery Pritzular responsibilities.
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