New York, Virginia Become First Two US States to Require Mental Health Education

By Shiena Bernardino, Christian Post Contributor Wednesday, July 04, 2018

New York and Virginia became the first two states to ratify laws that require mental health education in schools.

CNN revealed that New York enacted requires the health curriculum to include materials that discuss mental health in elementary, middle, and high schools in the state. On the other hand, Virginia requires mental health education to be included in the physical education and health curricula for students who are in the ninth- and 10th-grade.

According to the memorandum for the New York law, all students will be able to reap the benefits of mental health education. "By ensuring that young people learn about mental health, we increase the likelihood that they will be able to more effectively recognize signs in themselves and others, including family members, and get the right help," the memorandum stated.

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The memorandum also mentioned that once students begin to openly discuss the mental health issues in a classroom setting, the stigma about mental health illness that causes isolation and shunning on patients will be prevented. It will also allow them to get all the help that they can get.

The enactment of the law from both states came at the time when mental health and suicide became hot topics in the US. Back in June, both fashion designer Kate Spade and travel and food show host Anthony Bourdain ended their own lives due to depression.

A study that was published in the Pediatrics journal also revealed that there is a significant rise in teen suicides in the US from 2008 to 2015.

"Encounters for [suicidal ideas and suicide attempts] at U.S. children's hospitals increased steadily from 2008 to 2015 and accounted for an increasing percentage of all hospital encounters," the study stated. "Increases were noted across all age groups, with consistent seasonal patterns that persisted over the study period," it went on to say.