Mental Health Part Of The Plan When Students Return In Montclair

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Let’s face it: getting ready for a new school year was never stress-free for kids and teens. But the added pressures of the coronavirus pandemic are new and unwelcome twists in districts across New Jersey, including Montclair.

Many Garden State school districts have been running counseling and mental health programs to help their students cope with pandemic pressure. And that’s also true in Montclair, where terms like "social emotional learning support" and "wellness seminars" have become part of the school vernacular.

Learn more about what the district has planned for the first day of school here, or watch the town hall video below.

The ongoing uncertainty around when things will return to “normal” — and what that normal will look like — can create raise anxiety levels for teens, an associate professor at the Rutgers School of Health Professions recently said.

“For those whose family well-being has been negatively affected by COVID infection or death, unemployment and financial instability, there's a greater risk for adverse mental health outcomes,” Ann Murphy said, adding that there is also an enhanced risk for youth who live in homes with abuse and neglect during the quarantine.

• See related article: Addressing Teen Mental Health During the Pandemic

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