Back-to-School Mental Health Check: How Are Your Kids Coping?

For many kids, getting ready to head back to school after summer break is a time filled with excitement and anticipation of new adventures to come. But it can also be a stressful experience, one shaped by anxieties over a new school year. 

As Houston, Texas, parents take on back-to-school shopping and restructuring the family schedule, now is the time to check in with your child on their mental health as the first day of school approaches. 

At Lifespan Psychiatry & Wellness Center, our team of highly skilled mental health providers is here to help you shift back into the school year with ease. If you’re concerned about your child’s mental health and wellness, consider coming in for a focused check-up. 

What are some things about back-to-school that cause problems for kids?

Many kids experience stress as summer comes to a close and the focus shifts toward back-to-school time. While every child is unique, there are some shared anxieties that are common at this time of year. 

Some kids will be heading to a new school this fall. It’s common to feel anxious about learning to navigate a new building or taking on new taskloads for the next grade. For kids who are relocating and won’t know many other kids at a new school, those anxieties can be heightened.

Other kids take on anxiety about their performance in academics or athletics. Starting a new grade usually means more homework, bigger projects, and more focus on testing and other performance benchmarks. 

As kids move into the higher grades, puberty causes a great deal of emotional turmoil, not to mention physical changes that take time to get used to. Furthermore, there are also a multitude of choices kids have to make as they get older, like which clubs and activities to pursue. 

Children also go through shifting social attachments as they move closer to adulthood. Who doesn’t recall the sting of a friend who seems to have moved on to a new social circle, or the disappointment of a crush who doesn’t seem to feel the same way?

Kids with ongoing mental health challenges can have an even harder time heading back to school

If your child experiences depression, anxiety, attention-deficit disorder (ADHD), or falls within the autism spectrum, their back-to-school experience can be even more complicated. Kids who’ve been the target of bullying can also struggle when the time comes to head back to school. 

Even children who love school one year can encounter difficulty the next, so be sure to talk with your student about their thoughts, hopes, and concerns about heading back to school. 

Periodic mental health checks are a great way for both children and adults to focus on themselves and determine how to make the most of new experiences and challenges. That is especially true at this time of year. 

It’s essential to find the guidance and support that both you and your child need to transition back into the school year. With the right help, kids can enjoy the new school year and learn how to handle new academic rigors, social shifts, and more.   

At Lifespan Psychiatry & Wellness Center, we’re here to help. Our practitioners are happy to sit down with your child to discuss what the coming school year might bring, and to explore tactics to help overcome depression, anxiety, or any other mental health issue that your child might be facing this fall. 

Booking your visit is fast and easy, whether you choose to connect with us online or by phone.