American youth are experiencing unprecedented levels of hopelessness and sadness. The latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that more than 20 percent of adolescents seriously considered suicide. Suicide is also the second leading cause of death for children aged 10-14.
The inaccessibility of mental support to the children who need it is perhaps even more alarming. Around 60% of depressed adolescents don’t receive any treatment. About 950,000 kids do not have health insurance that covers mental health.
A solution would be to offer mental health services in schools where children are. This is already happening. School counselors, social workers, and psychologists provide support to students, teach them coping skills, and work with their caregivers in order to overcome mental health issues. This vital care is important, but more assistance is clearly needed.
Researchers have found that students with a positive attitude toward their lives perform better academically and emotionally than other students. Can positive thinking be taught to students?
I am a student of school-based positive psychology. My colleagues found that after being exposed to science-based happiness ideas, students feel happier and more satisfied in life. They also experience more positive emotions than negative ones and have fewer emotional and behavioral issues.
Science of Happiness
In the late 1990s, psychologists began studying the science of happiness. Before that, the majority of psychology researchers focused on misery.
Martin Seligman, the founder of the positive psychology field, speaks at the United Nations after receiving an award in 2016. J. Countess/Contributor/via Getty Images Entertainment
The psychologist Martin Seligman, who pioneered ” learnt helplessness, “was inspired by a conversation he had with his daughter. She asked him why he could not ” quit being so grumpy. ” This led him to begin studying what makes people happier.
Initial studies were conceptual. Researchers soon identified the factors that make people happy as well as the benefits of happiness.
Scientists have identified three major predictors of happiness: genetics, life circumstances, and possibly others, depending on culture. The first two of the three are usually beyond the control of the individual. Science has shown that can adopt strategies in order to feel happier.
Positive psychology interventions aim to achieve a state called flourishing, or feeling good while doing good. Positive psychology can increase positive feelings, improve relationships, and motivate people to achieve their goals.
Positive Psychology in Schools
Positive psychology is taught in some schools around the world. This includes the U.S.A., Australia, and Denmark. It’s also taught in New Zealand, China, South Africa, Israel and New Zealand. The majority of interventions teach students positive psychology concepts like gratitude, optimism, kindness, character strength, and hope. It is important to not only teach positive psychology in school but also help students practice the skills they need to flourish.
A Toronto teacher encourages students to keep a gratitude journal. Colin McConnell/Toronto Star through Getting images
In typical programs, students learn about positive psychology and then practice applying it in their everyday lives with the assistance of trusted adults. Students can, for example, discuss gratitude and then write down three things that they are grateful for each night before going to bed with the assistance of their caregivers. After a week of practicing gratitude, students share their experiences with teachers and other adults.
In a 2020 review of 57 positive psychology programs in schools, over half showed positive outcomes, including less stress and depression, reduced anxiety, fewer behavior issues, better self-image, higher life satisfaction, and stronger social function.
‘Nice inside’
The U.S. Department of Education is currently studying one intervention. Department of Education has a small-group 10-week intervention that is designed to help middle school students. I am a mental health provider who coaches the providers of this program.
It teaches positive concepts to youth, such as gratitude, kindness, and character strengths. The program has been well received by both students and teachers, according to early findings presented at the 2023 National Association of School Psychology Conference.
Students tend to prefer activities that are in line with their values or culture. One student said that doing acts of kindness is their favorite activity because it allows them to spend more time with their family and pets, which are the most important things in life. One student shared that sharing the strategies with her mother made them both happier. Another student felt proud of being able to assist their family.
Some students also believed that the program helped build positive relationships. It’s fun to see the reactions of others when you’re being nice. For example, giving a compliment. This makes them feel “nice” inside.
Positive psychology is not the only solution to improving mental health in youth. Mental health counseling and medication can be used to treat children with severe problems.
