Windsor public school board hires first wellness teacher to focus on student mental health

With reports of children's mental wellness significantly impacted over the course of the pandemic, Windsor's English public school board has created a new role to help youth prioritize their mental health.

The Greater Essex County District School Board hired Jodi Nolan as its firstwellness teacher at a time whenyouth across the country have faced increasing stress and pressures due to the pandemic.

Nolan told CBC Radio's Windsor Morning that she is helping students bring more attention to their mind by engaging in mental health literacy lessons, social-emotional learning and mindfulness techniques.

"When I come in the room, I tell them when we're in school we spend a lot of time developing our intelligence and strengthening our body to sports and exercise but historically we don't give our mind alot of attention," she said, adding that she makes sure the lessons are relevant to what youth may be experiencing.

LISTEN: Nolin speaks with Windsor Morning about her mental wellness lessons

She said at first students might laugh or feel bored and frustrated during the mindfulness sessions, but a few lessons in and she's noticing that they are engaging more.

She said she's visiting students in kindergartento Grade 12, as well as virtual classrooms.

"Right now, educators want to support mentally healthy classrooms, any time in life there's going to be stressors and if we can equip students with tools in their backpack for life to manage stress better, to improve their relationships then they're going to be more ready to learn," she said, adding that the feedback from students has been really positive.

Study finds COVID-19 surges weighed on students

Anew studyfocused on southwestern Ontario childrenfound that during COVID-19 surges, children reported increased worrythat was associated with symptoms related to various diagnoses, including depression and anxiety.

The study was published in April and collected data from 317 families, whose children were between the the ages of eight and 13.

A majority of the families were located in Windsor-Essex and researchers collected data in intervals from parents or guardians and children between June 2020 and December 2021.

Findings show that children reported increased worry that they or a loved one would be diagnosed with COVID-19 during months where cases, hospitalizations and deaths were on the rise.

The increased worry, according to the study's results, wasassociated with elevated psychological distress and symptoms related todepression, irritability, posttraumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder.

Children also reported increased stresswhenlockdownscame into effect and whenbig events had to be cancelled.

The study was funded by a grant from the WE SPARKHealth Institute and then received further funding from Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long Term Care.