Whatcom schools grapple with student mental health
For Whatcom County students, the missed time and moments that came with online education during the height of the pandemic paired with other 鈥渦nprecedented鈥 world events has had a negative impact on mental health 鈥 a surprise to no one.
鈥淚鈥檝e gotten into college. I鈥檓 headed off and thinking about graduation and prom, but I鈥檓 also thinking about, like, the Supreme Court deciding my rights,鈥 Sehome High School senior Hadley Long said. 鈥淚 feel like we just have to move on from things really quickly because there鈥檚 just always going to be a new thing popping up.鈥
Beyond world events, local students and staff have faced their own trials this year. Sehome High School, Mount Baker High School and Blaine Middle School all experienced lockdowns due to credible shooting and bomb threats. A student from Lynden High School died by suicide. Floods ravaged Sumas and Everson in the fall.
For kids in the county and across the state, the increased load showed itself in responses to the . Of the 994 12th-grade students surveyed in Whatcom County, 73% reported feeling nervous or anxious and 62% said they were unable to control worrying in the past two weeks. About 19% considered attempting suicide and 6% attempted suicide in the past year. Students who reported feelings of sadness and hopelessness increased from 27% in 2010 to 42% in 2021.
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