Annotated Bibliography

How have mental health disorders been neglected in teens in high schools in Utah in the

past 10 years due to the lack of education teachers have on these disorders resulting in more

students’ suicide. I picked this topic because I want to shed light on the issue that teachers are

not well educated enough on how to tell the warning signs of a mental disorder. They are also not

well educated enough on how to help these students. Many students ask for help through their

behavior and teachers don't know the disorder well enough to come to that conclusion before the

students make a decision that they can’t go back on. I can personally relate to being brought

down by a teacher because they thought that my behavior was just lazy when in reality I was

dealing with much more than just that. I believe this is an important topic and people should care

more about this topic because even though many may not be parents, I know no one would like

to lose a child to suicide when there could have been more action to prevent it.

Anderson, M., & Cardoza, K. (2016, August 31). NPR Choice Page. Npr.org.

https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/08/31/464727159/mental-health-in-schools-a-hidden-crisis

-affecting-millions-of-students

In the article, A Hidden Crisis Affecting Millions Of Students, Anderson and Cardoza

wrote, many things adults go through, teenagers experience the same thing. For example,

substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and many more. There is a gradual increase of teenagers

being diagnosed with these mental disorders but many don't appear to get help. Regardless of

them getting help, they all are being affected socially and academically. The article talks about

many of the roles of teachers, counselors, school psychologists, parents, and school nurses. They
explain the influence these specific people have on a teenager’s life. For example in the article

Anderson and Cardoza state, “Teachers are in a prime spot to notice changes in behavior. They

read essays, see how students relate with other kids, and notice when they aren't paying

attention.” The article explains this is the role of a teacher. A big part of a teens’ life is school

and it plays a major role in identifying mental disorders. The article further gives an example of a

girl named Katie. The girl, now 18, experienced having a mental disorder and being neglected In

school. As Anderson and Cardoza state, “Katie says teachers acted like she didn't care about her

schoolwork. "I was so invisible to them."

I plan to use this information by incorporating the story of Katie. Katie's story is one of

many. Many students have gone through something similar in high school. Where students may

be asking for help in ways teachers don't comprehend or showing it in their behavior. Teachers

may not be educated enough to realize their behavior could be a cry for help. I will be portraying

this in the form of dance. In a section in the dance, I will portray a behavior change and how a

teacher doesn’t necessarily understand so they push it aside and pay no attention to it.

Kavitha Cardoza has won many awards for her work, as WAMU 88.5, AMERICAN

UNIVERSITY RADIO states, “ In 2012 she received the regional Edward R. Murrow Award for

Hard News. That same year, her five-part series on childhood obesity won first place in the

Series category in the National Awards for Education Reporting and recognition from the

Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association. Cardoza was previously the Springfield

bureau chief for WUIS in Illinois and an adjunct faculty member for the university’s Department

of Communication. She holds graduate degrees from the University of Illinois at

Urbana-Champaign and the Manipal Institute of Communication in India.” She is credible for
her work given that she is being recognized for it on different levels. She is also credible because

two of her top specialties in writing are children and education.

Meg Anderson is an editor on NPR’s investigation team, as NPR states,” She served as a

producer on the Peabody Award-winning series Lost Mothers, which investigated the high rate of

maternal mortality in the United States. She also does her own original reporting for the team,

including the series Heat and Health in American Cities, which won multiple awards, and the

story of a COVID-19 outbreak in a Black community and the systemic factors at play.”

PROVIDENCE HEALTH TEAM. (n.d.). Mental health in schools: How teachers can be

the first line of support. Providence. Retrieved November 13, 2021, from

https://blog.providence.org/archive/is-mental-health-neglected-in-our-children-s-schools

The article, “ How Teachers Can be The First Line of Support,” states that there is a lack

of education on the educators in schools about mental health disorders. It explains how teachers

aren’t properly trained to help students with this issue. Teachers and counselors see an average of

500 students, this is one of the reasons why many educators can’t focus on one single student.

Mental health disorders can take a big toll on a student's education. For example, in the article it

states, “Children with mental health issues often have the odds of success stacked against them.

Often these ailments negatively affect their ability to learn, or at least their ability to learn at the

same pace or in the same way as most of the other students in their classes.” The article further

tells the way this is strongly affecting students. The article also mentions

I plan to use this article in my civic engagement project by incorporating the fact that

teachers can be one of the first lines of support in a students’ mental health. I will be portraying

this by incorporating an educator in my dance and showing how this is one of the main focuses
of the issue. The teacher plays a big part in a student's life. Especially in high school, many

students spend most of their time in school compared to outside of school.

The article is found on a blog that allows one to learn about many things regarding your

health and many things medical. The blog allows one to find a doctor in various states. It is a

way to get medical help if needed and educate oneself. Many of the authors are institutes

regarding healthcare as well.

Revelette, W. R. (2020, March 12). The Mental Health Crisis in Children and Young Adults.

National Federation of State High School Association.

https://www.nfhs.org/articles/the-mental-health-crisis-in-children-and-young-adults/

The article states the increase of suicides from ages 10-24 and that it is rising as the years

continue. It continues to add that males and females have different approaches to suicide and that

the success rates of both are different due to the fact that males use more lethal tactics. As the

article goes on it continues to state why children develop certain behaviors such as children who

are exposed to drugs and are in abusive environments. For example, the article states, “Toxic

stress can delay a child’s executive function development and alter the architecture of nerve cells

in the brain. These children are more likely to have conditions such as ADHD, explosive anger,

oppositional defiant disorder, and conduct disorder.” Many of the disorders children and teens

develop are due to their environment. The article finishes off by naming different kinds of

disorders. For instance, Anxiety disorders, Mood disorders, ADHD (attention-deficit

hyperactivity disorder ), and NSSI( (non-suicidal self-injury). Explaining and informing the

audience on what the disorder is and what it can look like.

I plan to use the information in this article and apply it to my civic engagement project by

using the fact that there are many mental health disorders and not just the most common anxiety
and depression. I will use the fact that many teens dealing with these issues deal with more than

one disorder. In the form of dance, I will portray a teenager dealing with depression, an eating

disorder such as anorexia, ADHD, and a teen who self-mutilates. The article, it explains many

different mental disorders and I want to be able to use more than one to relate it to what teens in

high school go through. The article also includes the rate of suicide increasing through the years

I will also be incorporating suicide in dance to portray and give tribute to those who took their

own lives at copper hills. In the dance, I will be wearing a Copper hills spirit shirt that will be

dedicated to those who have passed (taking their own life) who have attended copper hills high

school. I will (in hopes that it is allowed by school administrators) write the names of those

students on the shirt.

The author Dr. William Revelette has received a Ph.D. from Miami University and M.D.

from the University of Kentucky and is considered credible because he is, “a fellow of the

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). He has been a practicing pediatrician for more than 20

years. He is the former president of the Kentucky Chapter of the AAP and is a current member of

the Kentucky Medical Association’s Sports Medicine Committee.”

Jordan, J. (2018, November 1). Is Your Student Suffering from a Mental Health Disorder?

PLS Classes. Retrieved November 29, 2021, from

https://plsclasses.com/warning-signs-mental-health-disorder/

The article states different signs a student might be struggling with mental health. As PLS

states, As a teacher, you spend a lot of time with your students. And next to a student’s close

family and friends you may be the best equipped to identify signs that something is wrong”

Teachers are second to most present in a students life and some warning signs to look out for

according to the articles are an increase in being tardy or absent, poor attention span, lack of
personal hygiene, wearing long sleeves or long pants in hot weather, appearing under the

influence. The article continues on to list some of the most typical mental health conditions

affecting teens.

I will be using the information in this article by portraying some of the disorders talked

about in the article. I chose this article in particular because it's reaching out to the same audience

I am trying to reach with my project. I think since the information was targeted towards

educators I can take that information and portray the way these warning signs were described to

educators.

This website PLS classes is credible because the website is designed to help and educate

people. The website is also for educators to take classes online to receive a masters degree. They

are partners with Andrews University, Drake University, Indiana Wesleyan University, TCNJ,

Wilkes University and Mercyhurst University.

Public Health Indicator Based Information System (IBIS) Utah’s Public Health Data

Resource & Utah department of health. (2020, October 21). Health Indicator Report of

Suicide. Http://Ibis.Health.Utah.Gov". Retrieved November 29, 2021, from

https://ibis.health.utah.gov/ibisph-view/indicator/view/SuicDth.SA.html

The article, Health Indicator Report of Suicide states that the second leading cause of

death for teens in utah is suicide. It goes on to give information about the small towns in Utah

giving the number of suicides in each area. The article states that The Utah suicide rate has been

consistently higher than the national rate. It continues to state what is being done to attempt to

lower the numbers of osuicide in Utah.

I will use this information by making a survey and asking person of either the school to

use the initials of those students who have taken their life at copper hills high school or use
current attending high school students initials and write them in a t shirt when performing my

dance to give 1 a tribute and 2 emotionally engage the audience. This will work because it's not

just a story anymore but it is something real that has affected real students. This article is reliable

because it is run by the Utah Department of Health. It is a government website made to give

others information about the health of Utahns.

Child Mind Institute. (2021, August 19). How Anxiety Affects Teenagers. Retrieved

December 9, 2021, from https://childmind.org/article/signs-of-anxiety-in-teenagers/

The article begins explaining how the pandemic had tremendously affected teenagers and

has caused a rise in anxiety. The child mind institute follows with the fact that children and teens

with anxiety are affected differently. Children are more likely to be anxious about external things

compared to teens. The article then states teens are anxious about their performance, their body,

and how they might be perceived. They also list some symptoms of anxity in teensagers. For

example, “Recurring fears and worries about routine parts of everyday life, Irritability, Trouble

concentrating, Extreme self-consciousness or sensitivity to criticism, Withdrawal from social

activity, Avoidance of difficult or new situations, Chronic complaints about stomach aches or

headaches, Drop in grades or school refusal, Repeated reassurance-seeking, and Sleep problems,

Substance use.” Furthermore the article continues to speak about the way depression and anxiety

can go hand in hand with one another. Finally it finishes off speaking about how to speak and

give help to those dealing with anxiety.

I will use the information in this article by using the symptoms of anxiety as described

and express that information in the form of dance and something physical. Teenagers don’t all

have the same symptoms and I want to be able to represent a few to bring awareness and make
the targeted audience more aware of the situation by showing what a student might physically

look like or how they may act.

This article is credible because the child mind institute is a place that brings awareness of

children's mental health and also allows iteenaers to share their stories and allows people to get

educated on these topics. The website also allows one to start looking how to receive help or how

to help someone who is dealing with these issues.