Suicide is the leading cause of death among young people under the age of 30. Despite this fact, there is still a taboo on this subject. To make the theme of suicide among young people more open to discussion, the art project ‘Silent Struggle’ will come to Horst from Monday 8 to Monday 22 April. The aim of the gigantic statue is to break the taboo on depression and suicide among young people and to stimulate discussion about it. But isn’t it important to think about this more often by paying more attention to it at school?
Supporters of the idea of including mental health as a subject in school point to the importance of early prevention and education. Raising awareness of mental health among young people at an early age and providing them with the tools to deal with stress, anxiety and other mental health issues can potentially reduce the incidence of depression and suicide. Furthermore, integrating this topic into the curriculum can break the taboo surrounding mental health and create a culture of openness and understanding.
On the other hand, opponents may argue that adding another subject to an already busy schedule would be too much for both students and teachers. Careful consideration should also be given to the way this topic is addressed to avoid the potential for it to be fraught or even traumatic for some students. In addition, the responsibility for teaching mental health may be better placed with specialized professionals outside the school system.
Mental health should be a subject at school, what do you think?
