New York becomes the first state to launch mandatory mental health classes in ALL New York schools from the age of three

  • A new law that took effect on July 1 mandating all elementary, middle, and high school students learn about mental health
  • Nine key points must be taught including: identifying signs of mental health issues, resources for help, and the negative stigma that surrounds mental illness
  • New York is the first state to require that mental health be taught to all grades

Across New York state, all schools will be teaching mental health as part of their health education this fall.

Thanks to a new law that took effect on July 1, all elementary school, middle school, and high school students will be required to learn about mental health in traditional physical education and health classes. 

The mandate is intended to help students understand more about emotional and mental wellness, and help them understand when to seek help for themselves and others. 

It makes New York the first state to require that mental health be taught on educational agendas to all grades. 

Across New York state, all schools will be teaching mental health as part of their health education this fall (file image)

Across New York state, all schools will be teaching mental health as part of their health education this fall (file image)

While the law will give schools and districts some leeway in how they design the curriculum and lesson plans, they aren't entirely being left to their own devices.

After the law was passed in 2016, the New York State Mental Health Education Advisory Council was established in August 2017 to provide guidelines.

The group says that nine key points must be taught as part of mental health education.

Some of these include: identifying signs of mental health problems, resources for help and support, and the negative stigma that surrounds mental illness. 

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 40 million US adults aged 18 or older - or 18.1 percent of the population - suffer from anxiety disorders every year. 

When it comes to children, however, the numbers are similar but in some ways even more shocking.

Around 13 percent of children ages eight to 15 and 21 percent of teens ages 13 to 18 experience a severe mental disorder, show figures from the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

However, only a little more than half of children between ages eight and 15 with a mental health condition received mental health services in the previous year.

Most data suggests that around 50 percent of chronic mental illnesses start by age 14.

Mental health experts say that these issues being taught in schools will help students not only identify disorders with greater, but provide them resources for treatment options early on.

It's especially important following a new survey from the World Health Organization this month that found one in three college freshman report suffering from mental health disorders. 

Decreasing the stigma that surrounds mental health is one of the main reasons New York passes the bill, state education commissioner, MaryEllen Elia, told NBC News BETTER

'When young people learn about mental health and that it is an important aspect of overall health and well-being, the likelihood increases they will be able to effectively recognize signs and symptoms in themselves and others and will know where to turn for help - and it will decrease the stigma that attaches to help-seeking,' she said.

Although New York is the first state to require mental health be taught from first to 12th grade, other states may be following suit.

This year, Virginia passed a law that also went into effect this year require ninth and 10th graders be taught mental health lessons in school. 

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