By DAN TOMASELLO
LYNNFIELD — While students’ mental health challenges existed before COVID-19, the pandemic and social media have both exacerbated the problem.
That was the message a group of adjustment counselors and school psychologists sent during the School Committee’s Oct. 17 meeting.
Lynnfield High School adjustment counselor Kristen Dee said the adjustment counselors and psychologists have observed more students refusing to go to school and avoiding academic responsibilities since the pandemic.
“School refusal and school avoidance is huge,” said Dee. “We saw that before COVID, but it has become a major problem on all levels since COVID. Typically, it’s with kids who are experiencing anxiety and depression.”
School Committee Chair Rich Sjoberg asked what is the percentage of students who are refusing to school.
While Dee did not have a percentage figure, she said school refusal cases are “happening across the state.”
“I think a lot of kids are having a difficult time with their anxiety,” said Dee. “When they come into school, it is super challenging for them to have the stamina to last for the entire day. We are working on it quite a bit.”
In response to a question from School Committee Vice Chair Stacy Dahlstedt, Dee said the adjustment counselors and psychologists are seeing school refusal cases “daily.”
School Committee member Kate DePrizio said she has seen school refusal situations while dropping off her children. She asked if there was any advice the counselors could offer parents and guardians.
Dee said the counselors try to provide as much support to parents and guardians because they are “on the front lines.”
“It’s important to remember that even though a student might be experiencing anxiety, avoiding things makes the anxiety worse,” said Dee. “Anxiety is so powerful with some kids that they will do just about anything to avoid something. As adults, we need to be able to say this is not going to be avoided. And if you allow your student to stay home, there should be no TV, no phone and no cuddling on the couch. They should be doing work.”
Dee said students who have anxiety “want comfort and to avoid challenges.”
“Kids don’t really know what is best for them in that regard,” said Dee. “As adults, we know that the more you avoid something, the worst it is going to be. We can help families find people in the schools who can support them.”
Dee also said the adjustment counselors and psychologists have helped students deal with social skill challenges and conflicts with their peers. She also said the counselors have helped students deal with depression, low self-esteem and trauma.
“We are definitely seeing some safety concerns such as self-harm and suicidal ideation,” said Dee. “That is happening across the board.”
Lynnfield Middle School psychologist Meghan Boisvert recalled that eighth-graders participate in Signs of Suicide (SOS), which is an evidenced-based suicide prevention program.
“Signs of Suicide is part of our curriculum,” said Boisvert. “We screen and evaluate students in need.”
LMS psychologist Lauren Wilson said the middle school is looking to expand the SOS program. She recalled that the SOS screenings previously occurred during the third trimester.
“We plan on bumping it up so that we see all of the eighth-graders by November,” said Wilson.
LHS adjustment counselor Claire Lenihan, who works with the Student Support Program, said freshmen also participate in the SOS program. She said the counselors “provide crisis evaluations as needed.”
“If a student says something that is unsafe, I will meet with them, do an evaluation and go from there,” said Linehan.
School Committee member Jamie Hayman recalled that students’ social-emotional challenges were a huge concern before, during and after the pandemic. He thanked the community for supporting the School Department’s proposals to hire adjustment counselors for each school.
Hayman asked the counselors which trends they are seeing are “old” and which trends are “new.”
Dee said the counselors were seeing anxiety and depression trends before COVID began. She said students have struggled with learning how to be resilient before, during and after the pandemic.
“We are very quick to scoop them up and help rescue them before they learn to do that on their own,” said Dee. “That is very much pre-COVID.”
Wilson said the counselors have been working to help students develop “coping strategies.”
Summer Street School psychologist Krista Rumschlag noted that family stress is “high right now.”
“That carries over to young children,” said Rumschlag. “COVID has exacerbated that. Financial situations have changed for families, and there has been an increase in the number of families who are separating and getting divorced.”
Dee said the counselors “want kids to recognize mental health is not an infliction.”
Lenihan also noted that social media is “prevalent in students’ lives.”
“I see children as young as the elementary level on phones, tablets and iPads,” said Lenihan. “In the world that we live in, there is no escape from the Internet and social media access. At the high school, lots of students have their phones out because some of the teachers need them to be on their devices. Unfortunately, social media usage and media in general, whether it is television, commercials and music, has a very big influence on our students. That can often be negative. I think that causes a lot of students to have high expectations that are often unachievable. They are constantly comparing themselves to others.”
School Committeeman Phil McQueen recalled that former Facebook data scientist Frances Haugen told a U.S. Senate subcommittee two years ago that social media is damaging children’s mental health.
“Social media has had a crippling affect on kids and adults,” said McQueen. “Social media companies aren’t in it for the likes. They are in it for the money. The impact this has had on students today has worsened the impact of COVID.”
Summer Street School adjustment counselor Heather Hunt said the counselors each have different caseloads, and work with both general education and special education students depending on their respective roles. She also said the counselors’ work with families and outside providers to make sure students’ needs are being met.
In order to help build relationships with students, Huckleberry Hill School adjustment counselor Gabriela Brennet said the elementary counselors hold “lunch bunches” with a small group of students.
“We sometimes play games or do activities that allow us to connect and build relationships to help students connect with their peers,” said Brennet. “We also do classroom lessons and provide classroom support. We also work with the middle school at the end of the year to help students make that big transition from fourth to fifth grade.”
Wilson noted that LMS adjustment counselor Marissa Botta has a therapy dog named Finn who frequently comes to the middle school to work with students.
“Finn puts a lot of smiles on students faces,” said Wilson.
The School Committee thanked the counselors for the work that they do every day.
“Our students are so fortunate to have you,” said Dahlstedt.
Superintendent Kristen Vogel agreed.
“I am so appreciative of your collaboration and having you on the team,” said Vogel. “Everything that you do is important.”
Sjoberg recalled that it took several years for the school system to hire adjustment counselors for each building.
“The need was quite shocking,” said Sjoberg. “We have gotten to a level that was needed.”