More than half of Detroit students felt anxious or depressed pre-COVID
The Detroit NewsJun 15, 2021
Jun. 15—More than half of the
Of 11,000
The needs assessment for students in grades 8-12 was done from
The assessment found girls had higher rates of depression and anxiety than boys and students who identify as gender nonbinary, transgender or LGBTQIA+ had higher rates of mental health difficulties. Academic stress was the top mental health concern identified by students, followed by anxiety, depression and family stress, the report found.
Researchers said results from the needs assessment show
Students with depression, anxiety and exposure to trauma were more likely to report chronic absenteeism and difficulties completing schoolwork or studying, the report found.
Surveys were completed by more than 11,000
The UM program, TRAILS (
The assessments were also done by the
"Given the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on communities of color, the need for mental health support for
The assessment showed a substantial number of students with symptoms of anxiety and/or depression reported not having ever accessed any school- or community-based mental health support services.
The most common barriers to seeking mental health services cited included a preference for coping with difficulties on their own, a belief that available services would not be helpful, and embarrassment/shame/stigma, the report said.
"We recognize that the ability of students to take full advantage of educational opportunity requires that we create a foundational culture of health and wellness throughout each and every one of our schools," Vitti said.
The survey provides the district with data about risk and protective factors, access and barriers to care, student symptoms of depression and anxiety and satisfaction with available resources and attitudes about mental health, officials said.
Findings will help to inform and evaluate the impact of future programming for students, staff and families.
Using survey findings, TRAILS is working with the district to implement programming in response to the results, officials said. Nearly 4,000 district staff have attended districtwide TRAILS training sessions on understanding and supporting student mental health needs and effective self-care strategies.
More programs will begin this year and include universal prevention, targeted intervention and suicide risk management. The report says
"We believe that those best positioned to sustainably support the healthy growth and development of young people in any community are the very individuals living and working alongside those youth, particularly adults working in schools who are trusted by, and committed to, their students," Koschmann said.
Part of the TRAILS model is acknowledging of the role racism plays in driving inequities in mental health and health care access, Koschmann said.
The full report can be found here.
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