Oct 23, 2019

Schools giving students mental-health days

Caitlin Owens

Students at El Sereno Middle School in Los Angeles. — Students at El Sereno Middle School in Los Angeles in 2019. Photo: Scott Varley/MediaNews Group/Daily Breeze via Getty Images

Some states and school systems are letting students stay home for mental health reasons in light of rising youth anxiety, depression and suicide rates, the Washington Post reports.

Why it matters: The suicide rate for people ages 10 to 24 increased by 56% between 2007 and 2017, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released this month.

Details: Utah and Oregon have enacted laws allowing mental health days, and students in Colorado, Florida and Washington are pushing similar bills.

The other side: The laws didn't pass without controversy. Some lawmakers argued that students need to toughen up or that the new rules could affect athletics or absenteeism.

"The bottom line of this is there will be students that will abuse the system but there will be students that this will save," Oregon high school senior Derek Evans responded.

Go deeper: Why we're failing to stop teen suicide

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Schools giving students mental-health days

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