Mental Health Days Help Kids, Yet Systemic Hurdles Hinder Usage

In recent years, mental health awareness has grown, and the idea of mental health days has gained traction as a means to prioritize kids' well-being. Despite the benefits, several obstacles prevent kids in the US from taking excused mental health days when they need them.

Kids Aren't Receiving the Necessary Support

The pandemic has caused increased stress for children, and many are struggling with their mental health. A Verywell and Parents survey found that:

• 60% of parents report that their kid's mental health has been negatively impacted by the pandemic.
• 36% have recognized a decline in academic performance.
• 37% have observed that their kid finds it harder to make plans with friends.

Growing Acceptance of Mental Health Days

Despite the challenges, there has been growing acceptance of mental health days for kids. In recent months, several US states have passed laws allowing students to use mental or behavioral health reasons as valid excuses for school absence.

Hurdles Impeding Widespread Adoption

However, there are factors hindering the widespread implementation of mental health days:

• Awareness: Many parents are unaware of mental health days or believe their child is too young to have mental health issues.
• Access: Even if parents are aware of mental health days, accessing and implementing them can be challenging, as only a limited number of schools offer them.
• Social and Cultural Obstacles: Mental health issues still carry a stigma, and some parents worry about how taking a mental health day might affect their child's reputation.
• Logistical, Access, and Privilege Issues: Some parents may hesitate to allow their kids to take mental health days due to concerns about missing school, childcare, or work.

Your Role as a Parent

To ensure your child benefits from mental health days, you should be informed of the advantages and challenges involved. You may need to advocate for your child's school to offer mental health days or find ways to support your child at home.

Survey Methodology

The survey involved 1,007 American parents from June 23-29, 2022, conducted by Verywell and Parents. The survey, administered online, used self-administered questionnaires to gather data from an anonymous panel of respondents via a market research vendor. To participate, individuals had to be the live-in parent or guardian of a child between the ages of 8-12 (tweens) or 13-17 (teenagers).

Quotas were used to ensure a nationally representative sample based on parent gender, race/ethnicity, and region using data from the US Census Bureau (2019 ACS) as a benchmark. The median household income for this survey was $69k, and the median age (of parents) was 40 years old.