ORLANDO, Fla. — Weeks into the new school year, many students across Central Florida are already feeling the burden of increased pressure, which experts say is impacting both their mental health and their ability to attend class.
In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 40% of high school students experienced feelings of sadness or hopelessness.
That statistic is not surprising to Marni Stahlman, President and CEO of the Mental Health Association of Central Florida. “Just like brushing your teeth with good dental hygiene, good mental hygiene starts young,” Stahlman said. She explained that her organization sees a spike in students seeking mental health services every year when school resumes.
Certainly, we see a bump at back-to-school; the transition is difficult,” Stahlman said. Stahlman said parents should be alert to early warning signs, especially when it comes to school attendance. “Or there’s a student returning that wasn’t really getting the services they needed over the summer period of time.”
“If you’re seeing a student that isn’t coming to school, there’s a reason,” she said. A study by the Kids Mental Health Foundation found that one-third of participants reported that their child missed more than a week of school last year due to fear or anxiety.
It’s a reality Brendan Payne, a father of three, knows firsthand. “We’ve had to pull a kid out for a day or two, give them a mental break, or sometimes they’re just overwhelmed in the morning,” Payne said. “It does happen. We try to give them coping skills and teach them how to notice things,” he said. “Like if they’re being bullied. They know what we call ‘bully behavior,’ they know what manipulation is, and they can call it out now.”
Stahlman emphasized that parents taking proactive steps, like Payne, can significantly impact their child’s well-being. “It’s a situational symptom of an experience they’re having, and the experience can be addressed,” Stahlman said. “Then the stress, anxiety, burnout, and fatigue can dissipate. They don’t have to be life-altering, life-interrupting, and they don’t have to result in a crisis.”
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