在线英语听力室

VOA慢速英语2021--学生心理健康问题呈上升趋势

时间:2021-02-14 14:40:51

搜索关注在线英语听力室公众号:tingroom,领取免费英语资料大礼包。

(单词翻译)

Student Mental Health Difficulties on the Rise

Claire Brennan Tillberg's 11-year-old daughter has been hospitalized twice in recent months after sharing that she was having suicidal thoughts. The Massachusetts girl has autism, depression and anxiety.

Although her daughter had been hospitalized before, Tillberg said things worsened when the pandemic hit. Her school went online and she could no longer meet with counselors2 in person. Suddenly, the structure and support that help many children keep a sense of normalcy were gone.

Studies have shown that depression increases during teen years. One out of every 13 high school students has attempted suicide3 and at least half of children with mental illness do not get treatment.

When schools closed across the U.S. in mid-March of 2020, it separated students from other students, along with advisors4, teachers and other adults at school. Additionally, for many students, school was the only place to get mental health services.

Wenimo Okoya is a health education researcher and program director. She is head of high school implementation5 for the Jed Foundation. The organization helps schools nationally develop programs to support mental health and prevent suicide.

Okoya says research has not yet linked teen suicides6 to the school closures. But she says social connections are hugely important for students.

"One of the things that we know promotes mental health and ameliorates suicide risk is social connectedness for young people. And we're finding that, because of the isolation7 that COVID-19 has put us all in, it's harder for students to connect with their peers9, with their teachers."

For more than 10 years, suicide rates among students aged10 10 and up in the U.S. have been on the rise. But experts say the pandemic has brought new worries to young people's lives along with social isolation.

From mid-March through October 2020, mental health-related visits to hospital emergency rooms rose for U.S. children ages 5-11 and 12-17. That information comes from a recent report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Nisha Sachdev is with the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools at George Washington University. She says that during the pandemic, both nationally and worldwide, children and families have been experiencing anxiety and fear for many reasons. They include loss of income and loss of housing or having to move around. The children can also experience long periods of separation from or loss of family members with COVID-19.

Research and opinion studies in the U.S., Asia, Australia, Canada, China and Europe have shown overall worsening mental health in children and teens since the pandemic began. In an October report by the World Health Organization involving 130 countries, more than 60 percent reported changes to mental health services for vulnerable11 people, including children and teens.

In the U.S., school closures have led to a loss of mental health services for many students.

Okoya notes that students are also experiencing things like internet connection issues. Others may share one computer with their brothers and sisters. Or they may live in a small space with their family and cannot speak privately12 about their feelings.

What schools are doing

So how have schools reacted to the changes? And what can they do moving forward?

For students with special needs, telehealth has made a big difference, says Okoya. Telehealth is the process by which some healthcare services are provided through the internet.

But for the main school population, mental health experts agree about the need for schools to provide structure and routines for students. They also say building a sense of connection and belonging between students and with supportive adults is critical.

That includes teachers or other adults at school having daily check-ins with students. Okoya says this is important – even if the child's camera is off or if the student does not share their specific problems.

"Opening up the line of communication is really important – even if it's not about the bigger thing. That young person knowing that there's an adult who cares about them, who is reaching out to them, who's making the time to talk to them is really, really important."

How check-ins and other emotional supports are carried out differ from school to school.

Okoya says the Jed Foundation works with some schools that have put in place "breakout rooms." This involves breaking classes into smaller online "rooms" so that students can share more openly.

Sachdev says some schools she works with in Washington, D.C. have done a great job with check-ins. They have chosen a teacher or other school employee to work with students and families. So each student has a point person they check in with every day and they do not have to search for someone they can talk to. The system also helps parents or guardians13. They no longer have to check in with several different teachers.

Other teachers use a mood meter, a kind of map that divides feelings into colors, during advisory14 periods each day. And, since students have several class periods per day, their other teachers can do the same if they are able to, Okoya says.

Overall, the pandemic has proven that social-emotional learning is just as important as learning other subjects, says Sachdev.

Experts like Okoya and Sachdev want the public to understand that mental healthcare is more than just the relationship between a student and a counselor1.

Every adult who has contact with a young person may be able to take steps to improve their mental health, Okoya says. Even a bus driver, for example, can urge a student to ask for help.

Sachdev explains that schools must not be the only ones ensuring good mental health for students and families. Support, solutions, and services are also needed from other fields, including healthcare, the workforce15, child welfare, justice, and others, she says.

Words in This Story

anxiety – n. fear or nervousness about what might happen

teen – n. a person between the ages of 12 and 19

implementation – n. the act of beginning to do or use something, such as a plan

ameliorate – v. to make (something, such as a problem) better or less painful

isolation – n. the state of being in a place or situation that is separate from others

peer8 – n. a person who belongs to the same age group or social group as someone else

vulnerable – adj. easily hurt or harmed physically16, mentally, or emotionally

routine – n. a regular way of doing things in a particular order

mood – n. a person's emotional state


分享到:


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 counselor czlxd     
n.顾问,法律顾问
参考例句:
  • The counselor gave us some disinterested advice.顾问给了我们一些无私的忠告。
  • Chinese commercial counselor's office in foreign countries.中国驻国外商务参赞处。
2 counselors f6ff4c2b4bd3716024922a76236b3c79     
n.顾问( counselor的名词复数 );律师;(使馆等的)参赞;(协助学生解决问题的)指导老师
参考例句:
  • Counselors began an inquiry into industrial needs. 顾问们开始调查工业方面的需要。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • We have experienced counselors available day and night. ) 这里有经验的法律顾问全天候值班。) 来自超越目标英语 第4册
3 suicide ssAwA     
n.自杀,自毁,自杀性行为
参考例句:
  • The number of suicide has increased.自杀案件的数量增加了。
  • The death was adjudged a suicide by sleeping pills.该死亡事件被判定为服用安眠药自杀。
4 advisors 9c02a9c1778f1533c47ade215559070d     
n.顾问,劝告者( advisor的名词复数 );(指导大学新生学科问题等的)指导教授
参考例句:
  • The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网
5 implementation 2awxV     
n.实施,贯彻
参考例句:
  • Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。
6 suicides 2365a3e9253e6485a6881cd4c281dda6     
n.自杀( suicide的名词复数 );自取灭亡;自杀者;自杀性行为
参考例句:
  • Since when do suicides miss twice, lay down a rug and start over? 自杀什么时候会失手二次后铺好地毯然后再试一次? 来自电影对白
  • Chris: And the reality is suicides go to hell? 克里斯:而现实就是自杀者要下地狱? 来自互联网
7 isolation 7qMzTS     
n.隔离,孤立,分解,分离
参考例句:
  • The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
  • He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后,生活比较孤寂。
8 peer mLExX     
n.同辈,同等地位的人,伙伴,贵族;vi.仔细看,费力地看
参考例句:
  • Children are easily influenced by their peer.孩子很容易受同辈影响。
  • He is a peer.他是一个贵族。
9 peers 450f65d3f10fa333d36ca017809f22a2     
n.同等的人,贵族vi.凝视,窥视vt.与…同等,封为贵族v.凝视( peer的第三人称单数 );盯着看;同等;比得上
参考例句:
  • She enjoys the respect of her peers. 她受到同侪的尊敬。
  • She peers into my eyes. 她盯着我的眼睛。 来自《简明英汉词典》
10 aged 6zWzdI     
adj.年老的,陈年的
参考例句:
  • He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了,也老点了。
  • He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老,然而记忆力还好。
11 vulnerable 4hAwN     
adj.易受伤的,脆弱的,易受攻击的
参考例句:
  • He volunteered to protect her as she looked so vulnerable.她看上去很脆弱,他就主动去保护她。
  • The company is in an economically vulnerable position.该公司目前经济状况不稳定。
12 privately IkpzwT     
adv.以私人的身份,悄悄地,私下地
参考例句:
  • Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
  • The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。
13 guardians 648b3519bd4469e1a48dff4dc4827315     
监护人( guardian的名词复数 ); 保护者,维护者
参考例句:
  • Farmers should be guardians of the countryside. 农民应是乡村的保卫者。
  • The police are guardians of law and order. 警察是法律和秩序的护卫者。
14 advisory lKvyj     
adj.劝告的,忠告的,顾问的,提供咨询
参考例句:
  • I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
  • He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。
15 workforce workforce     
n.劳动大军,劳动力
参考例句:
  • A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
  • A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。
16 physically iNix5     
adj.物质上,体格上,身体上,按自然规律
参考例句:
  • He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服,心绪也很乱。
  • Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

本文本内容来源于互联网抓取和网友提交,仅供参考,部分栏目没有内容,如果您有更合适的内容,欢迎 点击提交 分享给大家。