Teens with ADHD are being marginalised
Marginalisation of adolescents in high school is becoming more common place. Students suffering from mental illness, including anxiety and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), can be targeted when their behaviour or participation does not align with the acceptable parameters for learning within the school environment. The student is either removed from the learning environment, if they are disruptive, or they ‘fly under the radar’ if they are socially withdrawn.
In a class room scenario, where lessons can run for round one hour (this changes from school to school), a student diagnosed with ADHD will often feel restless and struggle to concentrate, particularly with more complex subjects such as English, regardless of the student's academic standard. A teacher with a class of up to 30 students will feel frustrated if there is a restless student. The default and acceptable solution is to remove the restless student from the situation. The student becomes marginalised.
Marginalised students with mental illness are at risk. According to the Young Minds Matter survey, 2013-14, about 14 per cent of young people aged 12 to 17 experienced a mental disorder in the 12 months prior to the survey. ADHD was the most common disorder being 9.8 per cent in boys and 7.7 per cent among girls. The three highest ranking disorders were ADHD, anxiety and depression (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2021).
Taking the classroom scenario and linking it to the Young Mind Matter Survey statistics, we can predict that in a class of 30 students, four students will have suffered a mental illness in the past 12 months and up to three will have ADHD and struggle to concentrate for XX minutes in a classroom.
Students who are repeatedly removed from class become at risk. They are often given detention for recurring disciplinary matters. Repeated detentions can result in suspension for a number of days, or weeks. This is at the discretion of the principal. The duty of care to the child transfers from the school to the parents during the suspension period. A parent who works is often unable to take on the duty of care, leaving the adolescents not only marginalised but at risk.
Young people with mental illness feel rejected by being removed from the community group. They often feel frustrated, unworthy and powerless. These young people often withdraw from society. In some cases this leads to other problems including substance abuse, self-harm, criminal activity and worse.
The marginalisation of a student who has a mental illness extends to their family and sometimes friends. Siblings are subject to the stigma that has been attached to their family member. Often an assumption is made about how they will behave or react. This in turn can have an effect on the mental health of the sibling. Parents and carers feel they have failed in their caring role and withdraw from the community with feelings of not being a good parent.
Parents find it hard to discuss mental illness with their community peers for fear of damaging the reputation of their child and themselves. Oftentimes, they are suffering extreme anxiety over the welfare of their child and are unable to cope. This impedes the parent’s ability to support their young person and siblings.
The effect of marginalisation on a student with mental illness in the high school community can be isolating and devastating to themselves and their loved ones. Parents in this situation often feel there is much that can be done by schools to be more inclusive of children suffering mental illness by implementing changes that will benefit the entire school community.
Strategies for change
Teacher awareness programs that outline the difficulties faced by children with mental illness and give all teachers and staff in NSW government schools tools to assist them in talking and working with children with mental health concerns.
A revision of the NSW Department of Education Student Discipline Policy that addresses the prevalence of negative student behaviour being linked to students with mental illness, diagnosed or undiagnosed. Currently NSW government schools are expected to develop their own school discipline policy. Guidelines for schools to follow are on the NSW Education website. The guidelines are vague and do not mention mental illness (amongst many other exclusions). The consequence is School Discipline Policies in NSW government schools are produced by heads of department, office staff and teaching staff who are unlikely to be trained to implement such documents. Not all schools produce a school discipline policy. This leads to inconsistent treatment for behavioural discipline across the student body. By initiating one comprehensive student discipline Policy for all NSW government schools the staff, students, families and local community will be informed regarding expectations of all in the school community.
Review the timetable structure particularly the length of the lessons with consideration of shortening them.
Include articles in the school P&C Committee newsletter that encourage empathy to teens suffering mental illness and discuss how stigma has a detrimental effect on the teen and their family.
Community support safe spaces for families of those suffering from mental illness to come together for support and to support each other.
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