For the past two years, Timberlane Regional High School has been hosting Mental Health Awareness Week. The week before April break, the school hosts various different events to bring awareness to mental health. The main purpose of Mental Health Awareness Week is to break the stigma around mental health.
The first Mental Health Awareness Week was in April of 2024. TRHS started this week to bring awareness to mental health in not just the school, but in the entire community. Mental health stigma is the negative, judgmental, or discriminatory attitude directed at people with mental health conditions, often driven by fear, ignorance, or stereotypes. Due to the stigma, many people avoid talking about mental health and suffer in silence to avoid discrimination.
The Timberlane community strives to break this stigma through their annual event. Katie Murphy, TRHS health teacher, stated, “This started out as a small idea that we had after Connor’s Climb did a suicide prevention training at our school for all staff. We heard the story of Connor and how Connor’s Climb, a non-profit in Exeter, NH was started to raise awareness for suicide. At TRHS, we started by wanting to do a climb or walk to raise awareness and have a guest speaker in the 2022-2023 school year. That year we partnered with Connor’s Climb and SoRock so that students could participate in the Strides Against Stigma walk/run/hike outside of school. After that first year, we grew it to be a week of events and we have been adding new events each year to hopefully spark interest for as many students as possible. This year the Duck-for-a-Buck event and the Career Expo are additional experiences that we are excited to offer.”
Sucide is the 2nd leading cause of death amongst teenagers in our state and rates of depression and anxiety have increased greatly in the last 10 years according to the National Alliance of Mental Health. Mark Pasquini, TRHS health teacher, stated, “We feel that students should know what the supports are available in our school/community for mental health. We want to reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues and help all people realize that we all have mental health needs that we need to care for. We want our school and community to feel comfortable reaching out for support and to know they are not alone when they are struggling.”
One of the ways that the students get involved in Mental Health Awareness Week is the dress up days. Monday, faculty and staff are encouraged to wear blue or yellow or any Boston sports gear for the Boston Marathon. On Tuesday, students and faculty wear any apparel from a club, team, or community organization for “Rep an Extra Curricular Day.” Wednesday is “Soak up the Sun” day, and Thursday is “Music to my Soul” day. And Friday, students and Faculty wear green for Mental Health Awareness.
Each day throughout the week, there are various events for the TRHS community. It starts on Monday with the annual Coffee House Night. This is an open mic event that also has drinks and baked goods available for purchase.
On Tuesday, students head to the PAC for a discussion on Mental Health. In the evening, the community heads to the PAC for a student showcase of clubs and activities. There are awards and a presentation for TRHS student leaders, and Judge John Broderick has a presentation on “Changing the Culture Around Mental Health: It’s Way Past Time.”
National Honor Society Members start up the day on Wednesday bringing energy and kindness to the students as they enter the building with their day of kindness. They have rock paintings available for students during lunches. After school, there is a wellness fair in the TRHS Cafe that is open to the entire community.
Thursday has many events available for the entire community. There are food trucks outside of the school and many athletic games. There is also a Milkmen Improv Show in the PAC.
Friday, the Strides Against Stigma 5K is an event held for the students and faculty during school. Following the 5K, ice cream and games are available on the football field as well as some great commentary from Mr Kelly and Mr Castano. Later that night, the Dance Team has their annual showcase in the PAC for the community to attend.
The community is very appreciative that we host this week. Each member of the community has a favorite part. Micheal Woodworth, a teacher at TRHS, stated, “The best part of Mental Health Awareness Week is that there is a Mental Health Awareness Week. My favorite part of the week is the 5 k. I jog in the 5K and I enjoy listening to Mr Kelly and Mr Castano giving their commentary from the press box. I like the ice cream at the finish line as well. It is a great way to end an amazing week.”
Since this event is relatively new. There have been new things added each year and more and more people are getting involved in the event every year. Katie Murphy stated, “Every year we reflect on what worked well and what we could do to make this an even better experience for students. This year we are trying to give students even more ownership by involving organizations like: National Honor Society, Key Club, Student Council, and Peer Outreach. We feel that students hearing these messages from their peers is a powerful way to have this week truly impact others.”
This event is more than just a way to get students involved. It is a way to make students feel comfortable and seen. It helps students understand that it is important to get help when you need it. When students feel the stigma around mental health, they are less likely to seek help and suffer alone. When schools have a week like this, it gives students resources needed and the courage to seek help. It also helps students understand the signs to help others.
