MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS & RESPONSE SERVICES AT TVS

JEFF SNYDER , ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health challenges among children and teens were on the rise across the United States. Based on the Center for Disease Control’s most recent report on Youth Risk Behavior, there is no question that the post-COVID reality continues to demonstrate that students were significantly impacted by the many months of navigating the social difficulties created by the global pandemic.

The most alarming data from the CDC’s study indicates that in 2021, almost 60% of teen girls “experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness during the past year.” This number is up significantly from previous years, and the rise was matched by significant increases in the number of teen girls that report seriously considering attempting suicide (41%) and making a plan for suicide (30%).1

In addition to the CDC’s recent data set, independent schools like Trinity Valley were already seeing higher rates of diagnosed depression and anxiety among middle- and high-school students at levels that exceed the national averages in high-achieving schools. According to a pilot study released in May of 2020 by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), in the eight pilot independent schools studied, “almost 10% of the students in the pilot schools have clinically significant levels of depression (9.6%) and anxiety (9.4%). This is contrasted to 7.3% of students nationally with clinically significant levels of depression and 6.7% with anxiety.”2

The subsequent Independent School Health Check study of high-school students released in 2022 revealed that “34% of students reported that they did not like themselves, up 9 percentage points from 2014-2017. In 2021-2022, 66% of students reported liking themselves ‘just the way I am’ — 9 percentage points below the percentage in 2014-2017.”3 Independent schools like TVS certainly are not immune to significant instances of depression and anxiety, and some data suggest greater challenges amidst the larger context of high-achieving schools. Fortunately, each study points to important steps schools can take to curb these increases while successfully responding to current student needs. These steps include offering comprehensive and confidential counseling services, training faculty in identifying mental health struggles among students, and facilitating safe ways for students to connect with others and foster a sense of community. Over the last few years, and even amidst the global pandemic, Trinity Valley School has continued to build capacity within each of these areas, and in our ongoing strides to provide the best possible experience for students, we are further prioritizing and expanding preventative mental health programming alongside the addition of counseling and academic support personnel. Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, we will staff a mental health counselor and a full-time academic support staff member in each of the three academic divisions.

Currently, the TVS Mental Health Counseling Program focuses on three areas of emphasis: mental health and wellness programs, responsive services, and learning support. The mental health programs offered at TVS ensure that students have the opportunity to learn and grow in the areas of mental health and wellness, conflict resolution and interpersonal skills, drug abuse prevention, personal growth and self-awareness, and personal safety. Additionally, through responsive services, the TVS counselors who adhere to the NAIS Guidelines of Professional Practice for Behavioral Health Professionals Working in Independent Schools provide ongoing support for the psychological and social-emotional well-being of students within the context of the School community. Finally, the TVS counselors work closely with the Academic Support Team to assist in the process of early identification of neurodiversity that may impact academic success.

Most recently, the TVS “Student Experience Team,” which includes the Assistant Head of School, counselors, nurses, Academic Support Coordinator, Director of Experiential Education (TOE), Director of Global Education, Director of Auxiliary Programs, and the Venue Production Coordinator, has focused on developing ways to infuse additional community building and mental health programming across these important areas of the non-academic school experience. This upcoming work includes a partnership with TVS alumna Catherine Reynolds ’13, whose experience at Mental Health America and in other mental health advocacy arenas will further inform our ability to better support each one of our students as we not only meet their immediate needs but also prepare them to pursue the resources available to them in college and in their professional and family lives.

IN 2022 34% OF STUDENTS REPORTED THAT THEY DID NOT LIKE THEMSELVES, UP 9 PERCENTAGE POINTS FROM 2014-2017 alumna Catherine Reynolds ’13, whose experience at Mental Health America and in other mental health advocacy arenas will further inform our ability to better support each one of our students as we not only meet their immediate needs but also prepare them to pursue the resources available to them in college and in their professional and family lives.

ALMOST 10% OF THE STUDENTS IN INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS HAVE CLINICALLY SIGNIFICANT LEVELS OF DEPRESSION (9.6%) AND ANXIETY (9.4%). This is contrasted to 7.3% of students nationally with clinically significant levels of depression and 6.7% with anxiety

In 2021, almost 60% OF TEEN GIRLS “EXPERIENCED PERSISTENT FEELINGS OF SADNESS OR HOPELESSNESS DURING THE PAST YEAR.” This number is up significantly from previous years, and the rise was matched by significant increases in the number of teen girls that report seriously considering attempting suicide (41%) and making a plan for suicide (30%)

1. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_DataSummary-Trends_Report2023_508.pdf

2. https://www.nais.org/getmedia/411feb9c-b9e8-4624-8f9e7f65cc324c3f/High-Achieving-Schools-Pilot-Study.pdf

3. https://www.nais.org/getmedia/71a8dd60-4167-4fdb-90d6430f0b09619d/NAIS-Research_2021-22-ISHC-Mental-Health_ 6-2022.pdf