The concept of the mental health day is not new, but as with many aspects of self-care, its importance may have been misunderstood or under-appreciated until the last couple years. Whether from pandemic stress, burnout, financial insecurity, or any number of other stressors, many of us—kids included—feel the need for a mental health day every now and then.
More and more, schools are recognizing this need and for the first time are allowing a set number of days for kids to stay home from school for mental health reasons. Together with Parents, Verywell Mind surveyed over 1,000 American parents or guardians of a child between ages 8-12 or 13-17 to find out more about the impact and use of mental health days for kids.
We found that parents are very positive about the idea of allowing kids to take mental health days, but a number of barriers prevent kids across the US from being able to take an excused day off when they may need it.
What Is the Storm and Stress View of Adolescence?
Kids Aren’t Immune to Stress
While we may look back on our childhoods as a carefree existence, our kids don’t see it that way themselves. The pandemic created a number of new stressors as well:
60% of parents say their child’s mental health has been at least somewhat affected by the pandemic
36% have observed mood and behavior changes
37% have observed that their child has a harder time socializing
That said, the biggest stressor for kids is one of the major constants in their lives—school. Americans feel that school contributes to their children’s stress above all else.
Clearly, there is a market for mental health days for kids, and parents are eager to take advantage of this possibility if they think it can help their little ones. Our survey revealed very strong support for the idea:
56% of parents have let their kids take a mental health day, and another 32% would consider it
75% say they can be an effective tool to support a child’s mental health
74% believe that schools should offer mental health days
Why such enthusiasm? Perhaps because 54% of parents report that they are at least somewhat concerned about their kid’s mental health, and 77% of parents who have let their child take mental health days feel that they had a positive impact.
Whether their child spent the day talking about their feelings, being in nature, playing video games, or simply relaxing, the time off provided a valuable opportunity to reset.
The Growing Acceptance of Mental Health Days
A dozen US states have passed legislation in recent months allowing students to use mental or behavioral health reasons as a valid excuse for a school absence, with bills in a handful of other states proposing similar allowances.
“The pandemic, canceled activities, and remote learning contributed to an increasing kids’ mental health crisis, prompting many states to permit kids to take mental health days from school so they could focus on managing their symptoms,” says Amy Morin, LCSW.
That still leaves students in most states without the ability to take excused mental health days—for now at least.
The Growing Acceptance of Mental Health Days
A dozen US states have passed legislation in recent months allowing students to use mental or behavioral health reasons as a valid excuse for a school absence, with bills in a handful of other states proposing similar allowances.
“The pandemic, canceled activities, and remote learning contributed to an increasing kids’ mental health crisis, prompting many states to permit kids to take mental health days from school so they could focus on managing their symptoms,” says Amy Morin, LCSW.
That still leaves students in most states without the ability to take excused mental health days—for now at least.
