NORRIS, Tenn. — Students across East Tennessee are learning about mental health through a local organization, the Mental Health Association of East Tennessee.
MHAET said it teaches its course, Mental Health 101, across 130 schools every year and serves around 30,000 students. It offers lessons starting in the fourth grade and caters to different ages up to high school.
Jennifer Kitts, one of the mental health educators, said she hopes students walk away with knowledge — even if it's just an understanding that it’s okay to not understand what's going on with one's own mental health.
"It's the different ages and stages," Kitts said. "'We've never experienced this day before. I don't know how my body is responding to life stressors.' And it's really interesting to see the students make those connections."
Some of the topics discussed at Norris Middle School on Oct. 1 included depression and its symptoms, along with coping mechanisms. Eighth graders were also introduced to topics about suicide prevention.
Kitts also does activities and interactive learning techniques to help engage students.
"I try to whip out a beach ball or some whiteboards to have them hands-on," Kitts said. "I just want to try to address the different learning styles."
Kitts said some schools are making it a priority to make Mental Health 101 a part of every student's learning experience.
