In high school, “mental health days” are days a student misses to prioritize their mental and emotional well-being. Are these days a new phenomenon or have people just become more open about their mental health?
Recently, PVHS has started to focus more on the mental health of students. The Gray Matters Collective is an organization that brings awareness to mental health struggles and offers a supportive community for students. TGMC was brought to PV in 2023, and the club has stayed active and continues their efforts to create a better environment by prioritizing mental health and putting an end to the stigma that surrounds it.
Over the last few years, there has been a notable increase in the number of students who put their mental health first and take days off of school. Abby Hamborg graduated from PV in 2020 and never took a mental health day in high school. “I didn’t know anyone who took a mental health day from school, and if they did, they wouldn’t advertise the reason for their absence,” said Hamborg.
According to a poll conducted by The Spartan Shield, 46% of students admitted to taking a mental health day in the last two years. Senior Sophia Lewis is a student who prioritizes her mental health. “I take a mental health day when I’m exhausted from school or sports and just need a break from the school environment,” explained Lewis.
Although days off can be valuable, they can’t always be the solution, and there are some situations where they may cause more harm than good. The biggest concerns are that students will be unproductive, using these days to procrastinate their work or will abuse the privilege by taking too many days off.
Lewis, however, uses the time away to her advantage, ensuring she doesn’t fall behind. “Even when I’m not at school, I make sure to keep up with the work,” Lewis said. “I can do my work at home two times faster than I would at school. Taking a mental health day just to fall behind in school work is counterintuitive.”
Mental health is just as important as physical health and the recent shift to being open about struggles is very beneficial for students. “It’s comforting to see that teens aren’t embarrassed by their mental health anymore,” Hamborg said. “There’s no shame in needing to recuperate every once and a while, it shows strength of character to admit that you are exhausted and need a break.”
