Aditya Ramnathan - The effect of race and privilege on personal well-being
Public Health Policies of 2021
Adolescent Mental Health
Large quantities of homework and academic stress leads high schoolers to develop insomnia and other mental health issues. The pressure to perform well in both sports and school leads students to push their bodies past a healthy point. Additionally, many kids do not receive the proper amount of nutrition during the school day (they usually skip breakfast).1 High academic expectations are affecting the lives of the youth both physically and mentally; thus, depression among teenagers is incredibly high.2 The public and the gov. should care because the scholars of the future are in their hands.
Currently many schools are incorporating mental health awareness as a part of their curriculum and doctors are legally required to conduct surveys on the mental health of minors. Increasing the accessibility to counselors and working towards therapy inclusive healthcare would greatly enhance student’s abilities in and outside of the classroom. Currently, therapy is incredibly hard to afford and there is a shortage of professionals.3
I also think we should collect more data on high schoolers and how different aspects of their personal life affect their success in school. For example, factors such as family income, cultural background, and even the marital status of a student’s parents will influence his/her attitude towards education. I believe that a survey should be conducted by school officials once a student is admitted onto their campus so that teachers can better understand their learning conditions.
I believe these solutions will work because it is proven that therapy and counseling can help students overcome their fear and uncertainties.
Community Health and Addiction
A problem in my communities among adolescents and others is nicotine addiction. In my school, vaping is prevalent and dangerous to everyone due to second-hand smoking. Vaping is injurious to health and targets a younger demographic through predatory advertising. Vaping and alcohol is too accessible to students in underprivileged communities, which can ruin their academic lives.4 To counter this issue, schools teach kids about false advertising and the effect of drugs on the body. However, a drug-free campus is not as enforced as it should be. We should ensure that campus is free from vaping through bag checks and stricter punishments. On a larger scale, the government should limit the sale of nicotine products and prevent minors from accessing them. Research shows that alcohol consumption and nicotine affects the developing mind of teenagers and causes road accidents and unsafe decisions which put them in danger. It is also known that vaping contains more nicotine than earlier smoking products so it is more addictive.
Worldwide Public Health
A worldwide public health problem is that minorities in America and other western nations are subject to poor health due to their location and way of living. Because discrimination/gentrification causes lower income among immigrant families, they are unable to eat healthy food. The government should be held responsible because such truths violate constitutional liberties; moreover, it is a humanitarian issue. Systemic racism directly affects the lives of these people and makes them more prone to certain illnesses.5 Right now, there are ways for underprivileged students from poor families to receive free cafeteria food. Additionally, welfare enables these people to worry a bit less about their financial status, alleviating stress and overworking. We can be doing more to increase affordable healthcare and welfare for the homeless and unfortunate. Ultimately, it comes down to policies which help support marginalized groups through government funding (i.e. temporary shelters, food banks, children’s hospitals, etc.). It is proven that certain ethnic groups live shorter lives and their occupation causes them to be unfit. If we try to support these communities we can study the effect that race has on physical wellbeing.
Sources Cited
Carratala, S. (2020, May 7). Health Disparities by Race and Ethnicity. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/reports/2020/05/07/484742/health-disparities-race-ethnicity/
Cavallo, J. (2020, 4 28). Study Finds Vape Shops Are Mostly Concentrated in Low-Resource, Minority Communities. The ASCO Post. https://ascopost.com/news/april-2020/study-finds-vape-shops-are-mostly-concentrated-in-low-resource-minority-communities/
Geiger, A.W. (2019, July 12). A growing number of American teenagers – particularly girls – are facing depression. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/07/12/a-growing-number-of-american-teenagers-particularly-girls-are-facing-depression/
Leonhardt, M. (2021, May 10). What you need to know about the cost and accessibility of mental health care in America. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/10/cost-and-accessibility-of-mental-health-care-in-america.html
Robertson, S. (2019, July 23). Teenagers who skip breakfast more likely to become obese. News-Medical. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20190723/Teenagers-who-skip-breakfast-more-likely-to-become-obese.aspx