The Abbotsford School District’s top staffer has revisited the topic of youth mental health in a follow-up blog post aft an initial post last month struck some controversy.
Superintendent Kevin Godden’s blog post, titled “Are we the source of student mental health challenges?” incurred some backlash online, after it was posted on Nov. 21.
In the post, he questioned whether society was over-medicalizing mental wellness. On Twitter, several commenters, including some prominent B.C. figures in education, took aim at the post, including calling it “oversimplified.”
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In his follow-up, Godden does not acknowledge the previous post, nor the controversy that it sparked, but rather identifies ways with which to address youth mental health: prevention/awareness, intervention and rehabilitation.
“We need to consciously improve our mental health literacy, as well as that of our children, so they do not pathologize ostensibly difficult but normal human emotions,” Godden wrote.
“Then, and only then, will we be in a position to meaningfully and effectively address the mental illness of kids who legitimately need the help.”
Godden’s full blog post can be found online, at the Abbotsford School District website.
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