Mental Health: Could It Be A Root Contributing Factor To Poor Performance?

Michelline Nawatises
Rebecca Lasarus

Mental health is a topic that has been receiving a bucket load of attention in recent years. Yet one question some forget to ask is 'If our education system really provides the necessary awareness to this rather serious topic that in turn can also affect the performance of learners and students as a whole?'

Society has for the longest time viewed mental issues as a taboo, and while understanding and medicine have both evolved, the stigma surrounding mental health still exists and may immensely affect learners' academic performances.

Despite several studies and research into the significance of mental health (considering the amount of work and pressure on learners), mental health awareness campaigns and evaluations have been left the sole responsibility of parents and guardians. This does not seem to be included in any future plans of the education system. It raises the question whether our education administrators realize and understand the actual importance of mental illnesses and its effect on learners countrywide.

With how frantic learners' lifes can get, it may end up affecting their mental health without them even taking notice of the changes, and, without a proper mental health care system in schools, the only apparent signs would be radical changes in the learner’s academic performance or worst case scenario, when a learner turns to drugs or takes his or her life.

Today we live in a world where negativity is found all around us. With most learners or students on social media and other platforms, where empathy and sympathy does not exist they are rather characterized by bullying and cruelty. This could result in a mental health breakdown.Mental illnesses (along with other factors) have even been linked to the decrease of good performances in schools, especially in high school, and at some point we need to understand the fact that learners' minds are more sensitive than the system assumes.

However, in the end, there is no solid proof to conclude that mental health is solely responsible for poor performances in school, as it may perhaps be attributed to several other factors. We can however, also not neglect the fact that mental illnesses play a major role.

Now there is just one question left to ask: Do our politicians and representatives realize the significance of mental health in relation to performance and ultimately to school results and cultivating a healthy future work force?