October 10th, 2022 was National Mental Health Day according to the World Health Organization. Mental Health Day was started by the World Federation for Mental Health in 1992.  The purpose is to raise awareness on mental health issues and to advocate against social stigma around the world. 

Nick Pfliger, a South Campus Psychologist and GSA advisor, says harmful stigmas on mental health still exist today. 

Pfliger says, “Sometimes people think that those struggling are faking it, that they are lazy, or that it is a sign of weakness. One of the biggest barriers to people receiving help when they are experiencing challenges with their mental health is the stigma associated with it.”

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, defines mental illness as “a syndrome characterized by clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior that reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning.”

According to the CDC, “mental health is a growing problem” for high school students and that “more than 1 in 3 high school students had experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.” 

Resources are available for students. Pfliger would recommend talking to the Arrowhead counselors or psychologists. 

Pfliger says, “We all have a variety of jobs, but one of our most important jobs is to help students navigate their mental well-being so that they are better able to be productive members of our school community. We can also help students and their families access more intensive support if needed and will work to problem-solve through any challenges that students are experiencing.”

Dani Kosidwoski, a senior, says for any struggling students she would recommend talking to the school psychologists and counselors. “Mr. Lewandowski is amazing and so is Mr. Pfliger.”

Kate Sprinkman, a senior, says Arrowhead does not have enough mental health resources, “but individual teachers tend to be better.” 

The Arrowhead website has resources for anyone seeking counseling for a multitude of reasons. This webpage can be found here. 

Pfliger says, “National Mental Health Day is important because it helps make conversations around mental health easier. It helps reduce the stigma that surrounds mental health. The more we are willing to publicly talk about it, the less salient the stigma becomes. It’s very likely that every person either knows someone, or is someone, who has or is facing mental health challenges. This day is a great way to help people see that they are not alone.”