Ability to Acknowledge All Mental Illness
Lots of schools around the country are trying their hardest to address the dangers mental illnesses and that is so amazing. Yet, lots schools tend to mainly focus on one or two types of mental illnesses, those being, depression and anxiety. The number of kids with depression “has risen 63 percent since 2013” (New Study Shows Teenage Depression Rates Rising) and schools want to address this issue. Another reason schools focus more on depression is because people see these disorders as having greater long term impacts like suicide or having to be hospitalized. These are all very valid reasons, but when you focus so much on one type of mental illness you can leave an impression that other mental illnesses are not as serious. “10-15% of all Americans suffer from some type of serious eating disorder” (Eating Disorder Statistics). Schools should also help focus on other eating disorders and this is how they can.
How Coaches and Teachers Can Help
Sports play a big part into eating disorders and can be associated with many athletes. Many sports have a particular body type that will help them succeed at their sport of choice. Many sports like swimming, cheerleading and dance often have “lean bodies” as the preferable choice. When a student isn’t built that way, often due to genetics, they can be given the impression that they are not good at their sport. Coaches and teachers are often found to be students role models and how they motivate their players and students has a big impact on their life. “If the conflict is high between the coach and athlete, and there is little support then typically the athlete may begin to show signs of disordered eating” (How Can Teacher and Coaches Help Prevent Eating Disorders). There are so many ways that educators can help prevent an eating disorder. If you are a coach, try to focus on your team as a whole and remember to point out positive aspects of what they are doing and not only things that they can fix. Also, try and make sure that your team works well together as a whole. If students are surrounded with a toxic environment students can start to feel alone which may lead to an eating disorder. You can also use a school counselor to educate students on prevention efforts and eating disorders danger.