Our mental health impacts how we think, feel and behave. By prioritizing young people’s mental health, we can help them to learn critical life skills for handling stress, adapting and growing through challenges, building meaningful relationships and making healthy life choices.
Healthy Minds is part of National PTA’s Healthy Lifestyles initiative, which focuses on developing the whole child for success in school and life. We recognize that mental health is as important as physical health, and similarly requires focused attention and ongoing effort. With nearly four out of five young people citing unmet mental health needs, it is important to make mental health a priority.
That’s why we support local PTAs to bring people together to learn about mental health, why it’s a critical part of overall youth wellbeing and resilience and how to start important family discussions. Informed by mental health experts, our free tips and tools cover a range of topics such as anxiety, bullying, and social and emotional learning. We also offer funding so that PTAs can plan events and run activities to promote mental health in their communities.
In an effort to help every child reach their full potential, PTA advocates for policies and legislation that ensure equity for every student, promote a positive school climate and support the whole child and family to prepare all students with social and emotional skills to succeed in adulthood.