This school district is starting a new class to help teens address their mental health

 

WEST ALLIS, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The tables offering handouts on how teens can handle mental stress did not attract the same lines as those offering free backpacks or burgers. However, their mere presence at Wednesday night's "Back to School Bash" for the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District signaled students' mental health is a subject both officials and teen are willing to openly discuss.

As a new school year begins, a familiar challenge faces Wisconsin educators: A significant share of students report having experienced mental health problems.

Last month, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) released the results of its 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which it conducts every two years.

In a survey of nearly 2,000 high school students across the state, 52% reported having experienced anxiety during the past year. 35% reported dealing with depression almost every day for at least two weeks in a row. The 2023 survey mirrored the 2021 survey, in which 52% reported struggling with anxiety and 34% experienced depression.

Maggie Eggert and Arianna Reyes counted themselves among those students, and they were willing to discuss their struggles at Wednesday's bash.

"I've struggled with anxiety and depression, both of them, through freshman year and also in middle school,"
Eggert, who is starting her sophomore year at West Allis Central High School, said.

Reyes, entering her senior year as a duel-enrolled student at West Allis Central at James E. Dottke high schools, said she'd been overwhelmed by the sense her future would be determined by how she performed in high school. Both students said therapy has been key to managing their mental health.

"Counseling helps," Reyes said. "I know that's not for everyone, but if it's not the school, you can find something else out of school."

Amy Deal, vice president of the West Allis-West Milwaukee School Board, said the district was looking for ways to directly provide that support to students. Starting this fall, both West Allis Central and Nathan Hale high schools will offer a "mindfulness" course.

Deal, who is a behavioral specialist for a living, said the class will cover different coping mechanisms and techniques for managing stress.

"And they asked for it," she said. "The students came to us and said, 'Hey, we're experiencing more anxiety, we're experiencing more depression. We would really like some resources and learn how do we address these issues.'"

Both Deal and the students said they believed social media was amplifying the causes of teens' anxiety. 

"Comparing yourself to others on there," Eggert said. "And also seeing people who- seeing other people hanging out together and thinking, 'I thought they were my friend, too.'"

The DPI survey found female and LGBTQ students were even more likely to report mental health struggles. 67% of female students experienced anxiety while 45% said they'd been depressed over the past year. 79% of LGBTQ students said they'd dealt with anxiety, and 45% said they'd battled depression.

"Me, personally, I've gotten sexualized comments throughout middle school, throughout all of high school," Reyes said.

Deal said she hoped the mindfulness course would provide another valuable resource in addition to the "Hope Squads" the district recently expanded from high schools into its middle schools. The program has designated student contacts who help connect struggling peers with adults. Deal said the goal is to ensure every student has a confidant. 

"It doesn't have to be a teacher," she said. "It can be a peer. It can be the custodian. It could be the principal, whoever you feel safe talking to."

Reyes agreed, saying she's come to value having one or two close friends she trusts as opposed to seeking popularity. She also unwinds by reading, writing and playing the flute, cello and viola.

Deal said she was encouraged because students now seem to be far more willing to talk about mental health.

"Gen Z and Gen Alpha, they're really in touch with their emotions," she said. "I think that they are really pushing away that stigma around mental health, and they want to talk about these issues."

Eggert said she was willing to talk about the issue, even on camera, because she wanted to encourage others to speak up if they still had reservations.

"No one's gonna think you're a weirdo for reaching out for help," she said. "You can."