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Liberty County

Mental Health Takes On Added Importance During COVID-19 Pandemic

Published: 2020
By Jesse Fulbright
As a result of the COVID-19 virus, youth and adults alike had their worlds turned upside-down in 2020. Periods of social isolation and loss of normal activities have made indelible impressions on the mental health of everyone. For those reasons, Liberty County MSU Extension continued to partner with Chester-Joplin-Inverness (CJI) High School and Liberty County Public Health Nurse Melissa Kantorowicz to help youth understand how to maintain positive mental health and how to help those around them do the same. Through a 5-hour long curriculum, titled Youth Aware of Mental Health (YAM), facilitators met with the CJI freshman class to showcase an interactive program for youth, promote increased discussion and knowledge about mental health and aid in the development of problem-solving skills and emotional intelligence. As one of the few MSU Extension-school district partnerships to offer the five-session YAM course in 2020, 20 youth gained an awareness of mental health and suicidal thoughts and developed problem-solving skills in relation to those issues. Students began to recognize the need to think through different stress and crisis situations and understand the importance of mental health. Students have also initiated conversations with their peers about mental health. As students continue to practice good mental health skills learned during YAM, they will be better prepared to face stresses in their lives. Students stated the following class observations: - "I learned how to tell/help people that are depressed." - "I learned coping mechanisms for stress and depression." - "I learned there is always someone there for you." - "I learned how to help others feel better about themselves." - "I learned different situations people might be put in and how they get out of it." - "I learned that reaching out is better than hiding your feelings even though you might not have the strength."
The freshman class of Chester-Joplin-Inverness High School learned about the importance of mental health in 2020 through the Youth Aware of Mental Health class.