{"id":16053,"date":"2020-10-08T09:00:31","date_gmt":"2020-10-08T13:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=16053"},"modified":"2022-05-31T11:59:22","modified_gmt":"2022-05-31T15:59:22","slug":"mental-health-days-for-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/mental-health-days-for-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Does your child need a mental health day?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s Monday morning, the alarm goes off but you can barely roll out of bed. Finally, you shrug off your blankets, and walk down the hall to wake your kids for the start of a new week. Even though they\u2019re only in elementary school, you can see the dark circles under their eyes, and when you tell them it\u2019s time to get ready for the day, they groan and ask if they can stay home.<\/span><\/p>\n

Should you let your children skip school for <\/span>mental health days<\/span><\/a>? According to experts, the answer is not a simple yes or no.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a mental health day, anyway?<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important that we really define what we mean by a \u2018mental health day,\u2019 \u201d says<\/span> Joshua Klapow, Ph.D, a clinical psychologist<\/span><\/a>. \u201cThe term is used so widely for adults and it can mean anything from feeling tired and needing to sleep in, to feeling stressed and needing time away from the office, to dealing with a non-work situation (like divorce or a sick relative).\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s all of those things, and more. Merriam-Webster defines it as a day that an employee takes off from work in order to relieve stress or renew vitality. Traditionally, it\u2019s a term that\u2019s been used for adults only\u2014the assumption being that school puts less mental pressure on kids than the average work day.<\/span><\/p>\n

These past few years, thanks to the <\/span>global COVID-19 pandemic<\/span><\/a>, children have experienced more stress and anxiety about school than ever. So much so, that they might need to take days off to help. It\u2019s important to understand the unique stressors of the year, and how to recognize the signs that your child needs a mental break.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

RELATED: Mental health statistics<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why should students get mental health days off from school?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Children experience worry, anxiety, and fear just like adults\u2014and on top of that, the daily routines that structured their lives before the COVID-19 pandemic may still be somewhat disrupted. Young children, especially, may struggle to process all of this change they\u2019ve had to endure, according to the <\/span>World Health Organization<\/span><\/a>. They may be grieving missed birthday parties, class field trips, life milestones, or going on a yearly family vacation.<\/span><\/p>\n

While it\u2019s still too early to know the true impact of COVID-19 on children\u2019s mental health, <\/span>one study<\/span><\/a> conducted in China concludes that children experienced increased anxiety and depression during the outbreak.<\/span><\/p>\n

You know your own child best, and whether a day off will help them or make things more difficult. According to Klapow and Mandal, some signs that your child may need a mental health day from school include:<\/span><\/p>\n