Mental health is a person’s psychological and emotional well-being. After conflicts arose within schools over the past years, Pinellas County is enforcing a program that takes time from classes and focuses on mental health awareness. 

Five times during the school year, teachers are required to take the class period and focus on mental health awareness. Students will watch a video, make posters on the components of mental health (mental, emotional, physical, social aspects), and the next day, students take five minutes to reflect on what they learned. 

“I am not sure why it is specifically required to do it five times, but it is good that they do it during different periods each time because some students may not have a first or seventh period,” Mrs. Lori Bauck said. 

When the time occurs again to mention mental health, it will be during different class periods each time to give off different effects. 

With teachers providing the information on mental health awareness, students have already felt the impact of the presentation. 

Students have already spoken up about their emotions to others and what they have been going through.

“I have already had students come to me saying they appreciate it, and they say that their life is not easy, and they are struggling with a variety of things,” Bauck said. 

Communication on the phone is much easier, but some people may not realize how others are feeling. Person to person communication shows how someone is truly feeling, and the other person is able to evoke sympathy back. 

  “I think it is a need for the students, and I do hope they will speak up and go around and talk to their friends about it,” Mrs. Martha Estrada said, “Talking one on one is how kids are able to evoke their emotions, their phone cannot show how kids are truly feeling.”

“I personally feel like mental health awareness is really important and whatever you put in your mind, is your motivation for what you are going to do. It devastates me how I used to love going to school and to enjoy being with friends, but now schools are sometimes not even safe,” Estrada said. 

Mental health is a serious issue, and it is always important to speak up to ensure the safety and emotional state of peers.