- Lack of awareness of mental health issues among youth is common
- Parents, guardians, teachers, and youth are unable to respond to mental health problems
- Lawmakers are unaware of the problem may be more reluctant to pass policy to address it
- Stigma may lead to prejudices and discrimination
- Youth facing mental health issues may feel internalized stigma, exacerbating their mental health problems
- Youth with classmates facing mental health issues may in turn hold false beliefs and act on those false beliefs due to the stigma
- Policy makers may also hold false beliefs about mental health which could impact their willingness to address mental health issues
- Funding for public schools in the United States varies widely
- Many schools across the country are underfunded to the point of only being able to provide basic educational services
- Funds are being cut nationwide, creating more competition for limited resources in the state budget.
- Recent legislation proposes Medicaid cuts, putting funding further at risk
- A lack of funding will create additional challenges in both recruiting and retaining qualified mental health professionals, which could lead to burnout among existing school staff