Are America's schools doing enough to break the stigma around mental health and substance misuse?

Educators, administrators, parents, and anyone who’s been to a school or college campus lately know students are struggling like never before. They are depressed, anxious, and—increasingly—even suicidal. Many are battling substance misuse or addiction. And horrifically, more young people are dying each day from accidental fentanyl overdoses. Facing any of these problems is hard enough on its own. But when students feel added shame, blame, and isolation for these diseases, it only adds to their struggle.

The stigma around mental health and substance misuse runs deep, says student wellbeing activist David Magee. But there’s a LOT schools can do to stop it—if they’re willing.

“Many schools fear being labeled a ‘drug’ school, and while this kind of thinking is misinformed and misplaced, it repeatedly happens,” says Magee, author of the book Things Have Changed: What Every Parent (and Educator) Should Know About the Student Mental Health and Substance Misuse Crisis, and award-winning book Dear William: A Father’s Memoir of Addiction, Recovery, Love, and Loss.

“Schools can’t have a drug problem, though, because they are merely collections of students from families within the community,” he asserts. “Substance issues are family and community issues that show up in our schools, colleges, and universities. The same is true of mental health disorders and countless students at many upstanding schools suffer in both areas.”

And yet, some schools have feared such labeling to the point that they don’t offer the needed education about substance misuse. But now it’s crunch time, says Magee. The pandemic shed light on mental health struggles and brought the need for change to the forefront.

“Schools and colleges are in a great position to help students navigate these challenges,” says Magee, who has dedicated his life to giving students the tools they need to thrive and find the joy they crave more than anything else. “It begins with breaking down the stigma and letting students—of all ages—know that they are loved and supported.”