GUILFORD, Conn. — A group of Guilford High School students has started a petition to create a student-led mental health awareness club at school. The group founders say their first attempt was denied by the school administration citing issues over funding, lack of appropriate resources, and proper safeguards.
The petition started Wednesday and already has over 600 signatures.
"The resoundingly positive response we got from it really spoke to me about how much is actually needed," said group co-founder and Guilford High School Junior Abby Moore.
Moore along with fellow co-founders, seniors Addie Kenney and Kelsey Lynch, are striving to create a student-led mental health awareness club to destigmatize the topic among their peers.
"If you were really stressed about something, then you can go and talk to everyone and know that you are not alone," said Moore.
Experts say social isolation has had a significant effect on mental health amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. Students, in particular, have taken the brunt of it.
"The more schools can provide resources to talk about these things openly... and have a facilitator in there, it lets these young people know that they’re not alone, that they don’t need to be isolated, and that there are resources," said Dr. Laura Saunders.
Guilford Public Schools say they added the students to the high school’s climate committee to help students become more aware of the resources available to them. The students say they're open to working with the school but that doesn’t help with inviting students in.
"We’re not trying to pretend like we are qualified to give professional help because we aren’t but if we can provide resources that students actually know about and feel comfortable going to," said Moore.
Dr. Saunders says she recognizes the difficulty schools have with providing enough social resources. Although, she believes that peer-to-peer conversation is extremely important to improving student health.
"That kind of mirroring is very powerful and really allows young people to say I’m not alone. I’m not isolated," said Saunders.
The group says that they have not only received support from students in Guilford but also students from neighboring towns. They say that Madison wants to start a similar group and the two may start working together.