I am a senior at a very academically rigorous catholic high school. I have felt the need for a mental health day many times. I think my school should have the option to take a mental health day. Teenagers have so much on their plate such as grades, job, friends, college, and extracurriculars. Having optional mental health days does not coddle us. It is needed. The rates of teens with depression and anxiety are crazy high as well are suicide rates. My school has a club called the Fearless Initiative that deals with mental health and regular problems facing teens today. Fearless helps my school have a positive and open approach on mental health.

— Emily, Cincinnati, OH

Every human being has a body and a brain. Sometimes our bodies get sick with viruses, diseases, or broken bones. If students can be excused from school due to a physical illness, then why is it any different to let our minds have a day off as well? Just like our bodies get sick, and they need time to rest, our minds also fail us sometimes and beg for a break. We finish one, one hour class to get to the next. We finish school with the immediate stress of completing our homework for that good grade. Many teengagers everyday lives are bassically just a recipe for a mental breakdown. Allowing students to learn how to achieve self care is a much more important lesson than any physics or math class. If students were allowed one or two excused days a month for a “mental health day,” they would not only improve their wellbeing but also have more of a chance of thriving academically.

— Ruthie Stein, Providence RI

Throughout my Junior Year of highschool I was extremely stressed out and anxious and often times wasn’t in the mental state to be in a classroom or take an exam to the best of my ability. I thought it was only me at first but throughout my time in high school so far I’ve come to realize that this is a similar story with many of the people currently my age. Although some students may use the opportunity to take a day off from school I believe the large majority of students will use their days of recovery wisely and only when truly needed.

— Mahki, Providence RI

Personally speaking, I have my days where I can not even register what is going on during the school day — not because I’m a mediocre student, but because I am just mentally drained in every aspect one can even think of, and I seem to be getting them a lot more often now that there is more on my plate. Why can’t students have optional and excused mental health days? Do adults not expect us to become exhausted? Why can adults have sick days, but it is a struggle to convince both our parents and teachers that we need a day off without hearing the consequences?

— Chelsea, Classical High School, Providence, RI

Mental health days for everyone? “I don’t think anyone should just get a break.”

I don’t think that students should get the option just to take the day off because the feel blue. I think students are just lazy and don’t feel like doing anything that day. I understand people with actual mental health getting a day off to help with brain activity, but I don’t think anyone should just get a break. People would just take advantage of it and miss a good amount of school for “mental health”. It’s not fair to people like me and it’s not fair to the people with actual Mental health disabilities.

— Charles Walker, Hoggard High school: Wilmington NC

I don’t think students should get a mental health day off from school because people will just take advantage of it and skip school. How would you even tell if they needed a day off anyway? They could lie and you would never know. You would just be letting your students skip school. But if schools did do this then I would say that they should need a doctor’s note. That way you could tell if they were being truthful or not.

— EmilyComet, HHHS

I do not think students need mental health days, because all you have to do is get their life together because there is always a way to get it in order instead of being depressed or stressed.