Confronting "Catch-22" of Student Stress

An article in the Wednesday Journal contends that many students' social/emotional challenges were compounded during the pandemic as their grades took a hit, which increased their stress, which then further impacted their grades, which fostered even more stress--in the ultimate Catch-22. In a survey conducted by Advance Illinois, an educational advocacy group, parents and caregivers described a persistent low level depression in students, reflected in a disinterest in schoolwork and socializing with friends, as well as shifts in sleeping and eating habits. Administrators at Oak Park River Forest High School found the impact on grades was more pronounced with students of color. 

Leticia Villarreal Sosa, professor of social work at Dominican University and a clinical social worker, claims that the infamous video of George Floyd's murder by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, and its aftermath of protests and rioting, was another source of trauma for students of color. 

"[The George Floyd situation] impacts the entire African American community. It not only triggers the identity trauma of understanding that that happened because of a disregard for Black lives, but also this has been something that the community has been dealing with historically, and that historic trauma gets passed down generations," she said. 

You can read the entire article here. https://www.oakpark.com/2021/07/09/oprf-confronts-catch-22-stress-fs-and-more-stress/