LuHi is now offering new mental health services in the counseling offices with Ms. Marriott, to improve student’s mental health and access to mental health services at LuHi. This comes at a time when, according to the World Health Organization, one in seven teenagers experience a mental disorder.

In a post-pandemic world, mental health is a large concern. A 2021 CDC study found that during the pandemic,  37% of high schools experienced poor mental health, isolation, and anxiety of COVID-19 highlighting an already growing problem, not only in America but across the globe. 

In light of this growing crisis, LuHi has begun to take large steps to help students experiencing problems with their mental health. Ms. Marriott was recently introduced as LuHi’s mental health counselor, who helps work with students who need to process their emotions, and also advocates for students and aids parents with outside resources. Ms. Marriott graduated from Lutheran in 2016, and has been working at Lutheran since 2019, first in admissions, and moved into a full counseling role in January of this year. 

High school, while only being four years, is a time of extreme emotional and mental development, which comes with its challenges. Additionally, students can feel very stressed as the duration of their high school career begins to come to a close, and they have to think about the future, whether that be college, a gap year, trade school, or any of the paths one can take after high school. Ms. Marriott is there to help students through those transitions. “There are just seasons of life that are more difficult than others, and you just might need someone far removed from your life who can objectively help you look at situations,” Ms. Marriot said. 

Providing mental health services at LuHi is extremely important, and Ms. Marriott encourages students to reach out. “Counseling can seem intimidating at first, but it is not something to be afraid of,” she said. “Once you step into it, get used to it, it is such a beneficial thing. ”  

Links to the statistics used in the article: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health

https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/teens-are-talking-about-mental-health