1. Working Hypothesis 1

High school students’ poor mental health prohibits them from seeking the proper treatment they need for their mental health problems.

1a. Working Hypothesis 2

Schools act like they care for students’ mental health, but in reality they couldn’t care less.

2. Five Academic Sources

Reynolds K, Medved M, Mackenzie CS, Funk LM, Koven L. Older Adults’ Narratives of Seeking Mental Health Treatment: Making Sense of Mental Health Challenges and “Muddling Through” to Care. Qualitative Health Research. 2020;30(10):1517-1528. doi:10.1177/1049732320919094 – According to author Kristin Reynolds, adults who are suffering from mental health issues are not likely to go out and seek help. Reynolds and a group of researchers performed an experiment with adults who are suffering from mental illness to learn about the experiences and thought processes of those individuals who sought help. The two most common things among the individuals was that they feared being labeled as mentally ill and having an emotional reaction to psychological treatment.

Holmes A, Hodge M, Lenten S, et al. Chronic Mental Illness and Community Treatment Resistance. Australasian Psychiatry. 2006;14(3):272-276. doi:10.1080/j.1440-1665.2006.02284.x – In Australia, mental health treatment has formed around a model of community care. Many patients within this program are known for their poor compliance and drug use, and psychotic symptoms. This ‘community care’ is deemed by some as unsuccessful. The patients who resist this community care system put themselves and others at risk. According to author Alex Holmes, “these patients do not appear to respond well enough to the interventions currently available as a part of a ‘good enough’ community-based mental health system.”

Heneghan, A., Stein, R. E. K., Hurlburt, M. S., Zhang, J., Rolls-Reutz, J., Fisher, E., Landsverk, J., & Horwitz, S. M. C. (2013, February 1). Mental health problems in teens investigated by U.S. Child Welfare Agencies. Journal of Adolescent Health. Retrieved September 28, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X12007033?casa_token=7-hqSbFu4D8AAAAA%3A7j6Xz3hJO-lhf1p0x8o_68LQnkh0a2hOv5hwDtK_Ld1R6V6ksHLSQH3MJFNjTLjqZWuuUC8Dsg – Teachers at schools aim to help students’ social and emotional development. However, this doesn’t really matter to the schools themselves. According to author Howard S. Adelman, “there is a stark difference between the professionals who are experienced in mental health interventions and those who are in support of the patient i.e. friends, family, and nonprofessional school staff. The difference comes in the specific set of concerns that each deals with. Regardless of the concerns, each of these individuals are known as interveners whose job it is to step in and help those afflicted with poor mental health.”

Heneghan, A., Stein, R. E. K., Hurlburt, M. S., Zhang, J., Rolls-Reutz, J., Fisher, E., Landsverk, J., & Horwitz, S. M. C. (2013, February 1). Mental health problems in teens investigated by U.S. Child Welfare Agencies. Journal of Adolescent Health. Retrieved September 28, 2022, from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1054139X12007033?casa_token=7-hqSbFu4D8AAAAA%3A7j6Xz3hJO-lhf1p0x8o_68LQnkh0a2hOv5hwDtK_Ld1R6V6ksHLSQH3MJFNjTLjqZWuuUC8Dsg – The rates for teenagers suffering from poor mental health issues such as drug use, anxiety, and depression are high. These issues if suffered by an adolescent are more likely to be precursors to adult mental health issues such as criminal behavior, drug abuse, and STDs. According to author Amy Heneghan, “Teens investigated for alleged maltreatment are at particularly high risk for MH problems.” After conducting a study, they found that there were five major mental health conditions. They were suicidality, ADHD, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse disorder.

N A H I C national adolescent health information center. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2022, from https://nahic.ucsf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/2008-Mental-Health-Brief.pdf – Younger people with good mental health are more likely to not engage in risky behaviors. Younger people with bad mental health are more likely to engage in risky behaviors. According to author David Knopf, “The most common disorders among adolescents include depression, anxiety disorders and attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder and substance use disorder.” Depression widely affects families and individuals and it is looked into frequently due to its relation to suicide. There isn’t much data on anxiety in adolescents, but it is most frequent during childhood and adolescence. Substance use disorder is more prevalent in females than in males. ADHD is a learning disability that is treated through educational interventions.

Additional informationFundingThe authors received no financial support for the research. (n.d.). The impact of stress on students in Secondary School and Higher Education. Taylor & Francis. Retrieved November 7, 2022, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02673843.2019.1596823?scroll=top&needAccess=true – Students in secondary and tertiary education settings face a wide range of ongoing normative stressors. These “stressors” can be narrowed down to normal day to day hassles such as academic demands. Students commonly report that they are experiencing stress relating to their academic life, which is also known as academic-related stress. Pressure to achieve high marks and concerns about receiving poor grades are among the many academic stressors.

Andrews, A., McCabe, M., & Wideman-Johnston, T. (2014, December 2). Mental health issues in the schools: Are educators prepared? The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice. Retrieved November 7, 2022, from https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JMHTEP-11-2013-0034/full/html – An educator’s role does not mean they are qualified at being a mental health counselor, but it is their role to educate all students. Due to this fact, it is inevitable that this position requires an understanding of the connection between mental health issues and how they affect a student’s ability to learn and to live a healthy life.

Asṭor, & Benbenishty, R. (2019). Bullying, school violence, and climate in evolving contexts : culture, organization, and time. Oxford University Press. – New and emerging policies have unexpected social implications that have not been discussed much in the school bullying and safety literature. In the United States, they are enacting zero-​tolerance measures. This includes the use of metal detectors, and the introduction of police resource officers around schools and it has created major social backlash. It is also raising concerns about the school-to-​prison pipeline and the advent of the social movement Black Lives Matter.

Jordan. (2020). Mental Health & Drugs; A Map of the Mind. Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences, 7(2), 133–140. https://doi.org/10.22543/7674.72.P133140 – New names have been coined for disorders. Synthetic drugs are advertised as a solution to every problem, but the causes to these problems are still unknown and, although spontaneous remission can occur, there are no cures.

Awruk, & Janowski, K. (2016). Motivation for Physical Activity and Mental Health Indicators in Male Gym Attendees. Physical Culture and Sport Studies and Research, 69(1), 65–73. https://doi.org/10.1515/pcssr-2016-0003 – Physical  activity  plays  a  cathartic  role  by  fostering  the release of tension and stress, and is also a way to release emotion and escape from everyday life and duties. Exercising is a good way to keep mental health in check.

Winick. (1997). The right to refuse mental health treatment. American Psychological Association. – Mental patients possess at least a qualified right to refuse treatment. By law, people with mental health issues are not required to seek treatment.

Mehta, S. S., Search for more papers by this author, Edwards, M. L., Mr. Swapnil S. Mehta is a fourth-year medical student at Stanford University School of Medicine, RC, K., Al., E., PS, W., BA, P., CP, G., KJ, G., KB, W., AM, F., MC, R., LB, D., LN, D., LA, W., TD, S., T, R., C, C., … CO, C. (2018, November 1). Suffering in silence: Mental health stigma and physicians’ licensing fears. American Journal of Psychiatry Residents’ Journal. Retrieved November 21, 2022, from https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ajp-rj.2018.131101 – Medical students are reluctant to seek help for poor mental health. The source of this hesitancy involves fears about licensing. This medical culture can sometimes view help-seeking behavior as a sign of weakness rather than empowerment. Medical students fear discrimination in hospital credentialing, and consequences pertaining to personal and liability insurance due to disclosure of mental health diagnoses.

Corrigan, & Watson, A. C. (2002). The Paradox of Self-Stigma and Mental Illness. Clinical Psychology (New York, N.Y.), 9(1), 35–53. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.9.1.35 – Stigma has a significant and harmful impact on people with serious mental illness, interfering with important goals related to work, independent living, health, and wellness.

Corrigan, Morris, S., Larson, J., Rafacz, J., Wassel, A., Michaels, P., Wilkniss, S., Batia, K., & Rüsch, N. (2010). Self-stigma and coming out about one’s mental illness. Journal of Community Psychology, 38(3), 259–275. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.20363 – First impressions about the stigma of mental illness suggest that people with psychiatric disability, living in a society that widely endorses stigmatizing ideas, will internalize these ideas and believe that they are less valued because of their psychiatric disorder.

3. Topics for Smaller Papers

As I was researching about the resistance of mental health treatment, I came across adults and prisoners with bad mental health who also resist seeking treatment. I figured either this would be a good topic for a smaller paper, or if I find more information it may influence my hypothesis.

4. Current State of My Research

Well I can’t say that I am not puzzled by this entire process. Everything has been very tedious and demanding, but I am taking baby steps through it. I went into this research expecting to find out about High school students’ mental health, but I found out a lot more about adult mental health which I may switch my focus to. For this White Paper, I chose a more broad range of sources pertaining to my topic in order to help me narrow myself down a certain rabbit hole.

Update: Still just as confused as before, but I think I’m on the right track. Will definitely be in contact with Professor Hodges for some guidance.