Stress up at school for students and teachers amid lasting pandemic, in Cleveland area and nationally

Students at Rimer Elementary in the Akron  Public schools promote the "Be Kind 330"  campaign

Students at Rimer Elementary School in Akron promote the "Be Kind 330" campaign, which reminds students and teachers to be kind. The goal is to counteract stress from the COVID-19 pandemic and teach students to get along with others after months spent learning at home. (Photo courtesy Akron Public Schools)

CLEVELAND, Ohio — About 70% of public schools nationally have seen a rise in the percentage of students seeking mental health services since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new survey by the Institute of Education Sciences.

But only 56% of public schools report they are able to effectively provide mental health services to all students in need, according to the institute’s latest School Pulse Panel survey.

Schools in this region follow the national trend, according to data from the survey and anecdotal reports from educators in the Greater Cleveland/Akron area.

“Both students and staff alike are experiencing a bit of a mental health crisis right now,” says Erich Merkle, central office school psychologist with the Akron Public Schools.

This could mean anything from depression and anxiety experienced by teachers and students, to schools having increased concerns over the students’ safety at home.

“The pandemic has exacerbated a number of challenges,” said Scott DiMauro, president of the Ohio Education Association. “We know that remote learning and losing that personal connection that’s so important, connection between students and adults and connection between students” took a toll.

The findings about the jump in students and educators seeking mental health counseling tracks what DiMauro, as a union leader, said he hears in visiting schools and talking with members across the state.

Local schools don’t have nearly enough mental health resources to help all the students who need it, said Willoughby-Eastlake teacher Robert McFee, president of the North Eastern Ohio Education Association. The professional organization has 29,000 members, comprising educators and support staff, at public schools across Northern Ohio.

“The funding it just isn’t there to hire the amount of staff that we would actually need,” McFee said.

Merkle said teachers experienced the same pandemic stress as other adults — working from home, worrying about health and financial security — in being pulled in so many different directions affecting their mental health.

Midwest findings

The School Pulse Panel survey collected information on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic from a national sample of public schools. About 830 schools, elementary to grade 12, took part in the latest survey, for April.

The survey broke out data for 12 Midwest states as a group - including Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan - but not Ohio individually. In the Midwest, the survey found:

* 87% of public schools have encouraged staff to address students’ mental wellbeing, 44% have hired new staff to focus on student mental health, and 20% have added student classes on emotional health.

* 82% of schools offer individual-based intervention, 66% offer referrals to counseling outside of school, and 37% do family-based intervention.

* Staff seeking mental health services from school since the start of the pandemic has increased 31% in the Midwest.

Factors that limit Midwestern schools’ efforts to provide mental health services to all students included not enough mental health professional staff (66%), inadequate access to licensed mental health professionals (59%) and inadequate funding (55%).

Students’ challenges at home affect school performance

McFee said children and teens watched parents struggle with loss of jobs or the inability to work, on top of adjusting to in-person learning after months of remote instruction.

Throughout Ohio, school administrators see more instances of aggressive behaviors among students, from elementary to high school, McFee said.

“I would phrase it as just a lack of empathy for their fellow classmates, for teachers and for staff, and just for other people,” McFee said. “I definitely believe that’s a negative outcome of the pandemic.”

In Lakewood City Schools, district social worker Tina Karp reported students still struggling with depression and anxiety that developed during the pandemic,

Lakewood students report increased symptoms such as feeling overwhelmed by the demands of school and trying to mitigate learning loss, Karp said in an email.

In the Akron public schools, there have been increased concerns regarding abuse and neglect within families, Merkle said.

Schools turn to outside therapists to help students

Most Ohio schools need more counseling services in order to serve all students seeking help, OEA’s DiMauro said.

School guidance counselors often are not equipped to handle emotional health issues, so schools hire mental health professionals from outside the district. That creates an extra expense for budget-strapped school districts.

The shortage of child therapists outside of school creates another barrier for families seeking help.

Kids in Akron face long waitlists of three to six months when trying to see a behavioral health specialist who practices outside of school, Merkle said. Those specialists are often overwhelmed and exhausted from the increase in children’s needs for behavioral health services.

Lakewood schools hired a licensed independent social worker to coordinate services and resources across the district, Lakewood schools director of student services Lisa Bruening said in an email. They also rely on existing partnerships with local mental health organizations to provide physical and mental health care.

“Despite these resources, we know that our students and families still need more and we continue to strive to meet this need,” Bruening said.

Federal COVID-19 relief money and state funds can be used by schools to hire counselors, mental health specialists and other assistance, DiMauro said. But much of the federal assistance is one-time grants. “Clearly, there’s a need for more permanent assistance,” DiMauro said.

Akron schools have a school counselor and a school psychologist connected to each of its 50 buildings, as well as strategic partnerships with several community behavioral health agencies that offer school-based therapy services.

Akron schools are also emphasizing students’ social and emotional growth with the “Be Kind 330″ campaign, which encourages teachers and students to give each other positive notes that say “Don’t lose your sparkle” or “Your ideas matter.”

“We’re trying to bring back kindness, civility and social emotional relationships for all of us,” Merkle said.

Teachers also struggling with pandemic stress

The Schools Pulse Panel survey found 29% of public schools nationally reported more staff seeking mental health services since the start of the pandemic. This increased 27% for elementary schools, 30% for middle schools and 34% for high schools.

Akron schools employees can take part in wellness training, as well as partnerships with an employee assistance program to learn ways to manage stress.

Health and safety are concerns for many local teachers, McFee said.

As COVID-19 case numbers rise in some Northeast Ohio counties, many teachers fear catching the illness in their classrooms, McFee said. A movement in the Ohio legislature to allow teachers to carry firearms — sparked by the mass shooting at a Texas school recently — along with student behaviors, debates over curriculum and a lack of substitute teachers, adds to the stress.

“There are just so many things going on right now that are affecting teachers that it’s very overwhelming,” McFee said.

New Pew survey: kids can’t finish homework due to lack of connectivity

A separate survey released Thursday from the Pew Research Center examined students’ opinions about how the pandemic, and specifically remote learning, has affected them.

Most teens ages 13 to 17 have kept close relationships with friends and families over the pandemic and they prefer going to school in person more than remotely, the survey found. But some teens reported falling behind in school work, often due to a lack of computers, smartphones and reliable home internet to complete assignments at home.

About 22% of teenagers said they have had to finish homework on their phones, and 12% said they sometimes can’t complete their homework because they don’t have the technology to do it.

Other highlights from the Pew survey, conducted April 14 to May 4:

* About half of teens reported feeling as close or closer to their parents than before the COVID-19 pandemic.

* 49% said they had managed to maintain their close relationships with friends. But a third of teenagers said they were less connected with others outside their inner circle, such as classmates.

* 70% of White teens and 64% of Hispanic teens prefer in-person school, but only 51% of Black teens had the same opinion.

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