The Illinois State Board of Education promotes the prioritization of mental health by offering students the opportunity to take “mental health days” throughout the year.
A few years after the COVID-19 pandemic, the Illinois State Board of Education Wellness Department began to require all Illinois schools to offer students five mental health days per school year. According to both the Illinois Board of Education and the Metea Student Handbook, after the second mental health day, staff may check in on the student if deemed necessary.
According to the Center for Disease Control, students’ mental health issues were increasing by 40 percent before 2020. COVID only exacerbated the issue due to things like widespread isolation and extra academic stress.
Despite the growing number of mental illnesses seen post-pandemic, a 2022 Pew Research Center survey showed that less than half of U.S. high schools offered mental health help to students at the time. Now, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, almost 97% of public schools offer some sort of support for students who are struggling with mental health issues.
“The state really wanted to prioritize mental health for students,” school social worker Sarah Bathan said.
Mental health days are counted as an “excused” absence, meaning it doesn’t count towards a student’s nine given days, and kids are allowed to make up missed work.
“[These days] allow students to prioritize their mental health, to take a break when they’re feeling overwhelmed without [it] affecting their grades,” Bathan said.
Prioritizing one’s mental health goes way beyond having time to “reset.” The Suicide Prevention Resource Center says that mental health issues can affect students’ concentration, energy, and performance in school. Both depression and anxiety have been associated with having a lower GPA.
“I think [mental health days] helps get ahead of it, so that you’re not letting stress and anxiety pile up where it becomes an even bigger problem,” Bathan said.
Although Bathan says that many students do not use all or even any of their mental health days, they still provide many benefits to those who do take advantage of them.
“I am able to have a bit of a reset to help me get back on track,” junior Anna Kuhn said.
Students can use mental health days for a variety of reasons, whether it’s to catch up on piled-up school work, or to just have a moment to take a step back from the busy life of a student.
“I use my mental health days as a way to take a day off, [and] to be able to catch up on work or study more,” Kuhn said.
Kuhn also said she knew of many students taking mental health days before stressful dates, such as the SAT, to prepare and relax before the big test.
Not only do mental health days provide benefits for students, they also help with ending the stigma around prioritizing one’s mental health.
“I think [mental health days] normalize the idea that you do need to take a break every once in a while,” Bathan said.
According to Mason Park Medical Clinic, people are often embarrassed of taking time off for their mental health, as they believe it will be seen as “weak.” However, when schools show they support students, they create an environment that values taking care of one’s mental state, and open the doors for students to feel more comfortable with talking about it or asking for help.
“We all have days where our mental health just feels overwhelming and we just need to pause, take a break, and prioritize ourselves, take care of ourselves, then get back on track,” Bathan said.
