7 Ways Mental Health Affects Academic and Social Life

Introduction

Mental health is a broad term that encompasses one’s emotional, mental, psychological, and social well-being. It may also have a substantial impact on a child's physical health. To understand mental health deeply, it's essential not to limit mental health to just the absence of a mental or cognitive disorder. A mentally healthy child is someone who is able to thrive in various social situations, overcome negative emotions, and contribute positively to their community.

It's important to understand that a child struggling with mental health may also not have a good experience at school and may have a difficult time making friends. It may impact their ability to study, concentrate, and retain information. Moreover, a child who is dealing with negative emotions may also hesitate while making social connections and having conversations with others.

7 Ways Mental Health Affects Academics and Social Life

Several mental health conditions may impact the child's academic performance and social life. Here are some of the familiar repercussions of ignoring one’s mental well-being.

Lack of Concentration

As per the Psychiatric Research published in 2022, feelings such as stress, anxiety, and negative emotions can have an impact on the concentration and performance of a child. A kid going through such a phase may not be able to study for long hours and feel continuously distracted. They might get lost in their thoughts and also feel extremely underconfident about asking questions or clearing their queries.

Exam Anxiety

According to NLM, examination anxiety can severely impact one's performance. A child may end up getting extremely underconfident and forget everything just before they have to appear for the exam. Moreover, some children may struggle to frame their answers and apply the retained information to make meaningful connections. Hence, even after studying properly, a child may still end up scoring poorly in an exam due to exam anxiety.

Low Attendance

A child who is suffering from negative emotions and stress may avoid going to school. According to Frontiers in Psychology, such a child may avoid social interactions with peers or teachers due to an internal fear or hesitation. Lower academic performance may also lead to severe underconfidence. Moreover, in the long run, mental distress can have physical impacts that may make a child weak and unable to attend school regularly.

Difficulty In Having Conversations

Different types of mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and stress, may impact the quality of conversations that a child can make. Such a child may struggle in conversing with their friends, family, peers, and other people in their social environment. According to the Author's Manuscript published in 2021, prolonged difficulty in having conversations may lead a child to develop an inferiority complex and avoid social interactions even more.

Incomplete Work

A child with mental health problems may not have regular attendance. This may cause problems with their regular work and assignment completion. Such a child may stay behind other kids who regularly attend the classes and complete their work. During examination, specifically, this may cause a lot of problems for the child, and they may not have the study material to complete their preparation.

Less Participation In Activities

School life can provide kids with a plethora of opportunities related to sports, arts and crafts, debating, dance, music, and much more. Participating in these activities can help build a child's confidence and enable them to experience these events, ultimately finding their true calling. A child who struggles with mental health may not be able to give their best in these activities and may have a hard time participating as well. In such a situation, the child may not get the full opportunity to explore their talents, unlike other kids.

Lack of Routine

Not being in a good mental state may be an obstruction for a child to create a healthy routine for themselves. Children need to have a proper routine to divide their time effectively and manage their everyday activities. A lack of routine can cause children to struggle with completing their assignments, preparing for examinations, and fulfilling other academic obligations.

Conclusion

A good and healthy state of mind can significantly improve a child's quality of life. With a strong partnership between parents and children, a child's mental health can be improved and taken care of, enhancing the quality of their academic output.