Since the return of school, half the students here at SHA have concluded their mental health has decreased.

Fifty three percent of students proclaimed their mental state has declined since the beginning of the school year according to The Griffiner‘s most recent poll. 

The faculty had attempted to plan ahead for a situation like this and were hoping to reduce the effect Covid has had in school, to little success.

“We need more time to return from the Covid situation we’ve been placed in, to let our brains and our hearts heal,” stated Principal HD at a recent press conference.

This failure was a shock for the administration here at school; it wasn’t something they expected to witness with the return to school. 

Teachers here at SHA were hopeful that with the return of school would allow everyone to reunite and gain the support they need. HD noted that the school deliberately started the year with culture building activities like field trips.  

 “It’s a real punch to the gut,” said Principal HD of the poll numbers. “We started at a highpoint and now we’re on a downhill path.” 

The results at SHA are not unique. Student mental health has declined across the country as the pandemic has continued, according to recent research. 

Taking a look at our recent poll, 99 percent of SHA students say school influences their mental health to some extent.

The rigorous work that the classes provide at school leave students with very little free/rest time and not a lot of time to deal with their stress.

“They give us work for more than a 90-minute class and then assign us hours of homework after school each time we see them but somehow expect us to get a goodnight sleep and be mentally sane,” said junior Blanca Amaya.

A prior poll revealed that 70 percent of students were battling with stress, depression, and or anxiety. 

Out of 230 students in SHA, 177 responded to our most recent poll. The survey had a 4 percent margin of error.

Furthermore, the results of the poll show most students are pressured about getting into college and/or what their prospects are for after high school.

Other areas that were also being concentrated on when asked what makes students stressed included family conflict, peer relationships, and financial concerns.

“College acceptances are good but the weight of getting money for school, finding the right school, and keeping up with actual school work can be rough but if you have always had a good work ethic and have been able to balance school and outside activities, things will work out fine,” said senior Ashley Judkins.

The faculty is currently trying to consider the next step in the process of helping students relieve some of their stress, including how to make more students aware of the academic and emotional help available at the school. (See related story.) 

HD noted that the decline in mental health had been accumulating for a while and is something that needs to be handled with patience and time. 

“High schools are in the business of pleasing students. We need to learn how our students connect to us, make the system seem more trustworthy,” she said.