AUSTIN, Texas — Since the pandemic, we’ve learned something extremely important about the well-being and mental health of children. The mental health crisis among children has been declared a national emergency, and more states are considering legislation to allow excused mental health days for students. 

Texas is the latest to do so, with one lawmaker introducing a bill that, if passed, would require school districts in Texas to excuse a student from school for up to five days a year. The day would serve as a chance for students to reset or recharge from everyday stress and anxieties dealt with at school. The day will also serve as a time for students to seek mental health treatment from a professional or supportive care to learn healthy ways to deal with stress. 

A poll conducted in 2020 found that of the 1,500 teenagers who completed the survey, 78% believed schools should support mental health days. 

Daniel Alvarez is a school counselor in Austin. He’s worked in education for two decades, working with students of all ages. Since the pandemic, Alvarez said, stress and anxiety levels among young kids are on the rise. 

“We just went through a pandemic. Some of their family structures are different. You have some people who may have moved away or, sadly, some who may have died. You might have people going away so you don’t feel as safe anymore, so you might have depression- and anxiety-type symptoms,” said Alvarez. 

Across the country, multiple states have passed legislation for mental health checks or breaks, where districts are counting the days as an excused absence for students. The mental health excused absence is counted under the same criteria as a sick or bereavement day.     

Vince Walsh-Rock is the executive director of the Illinois School Counselor Association. The state recently passed a law allowing K-12 students in public school districts to take five excused days off for mental health reasons per school year. While it’s too early to see its impact, Walsh-Rock says it’s a step in the right direction. 

“What else can we do to build the linkages between schools, community agencies and mental health providers so that students see the school as a supportive environment even though in some places they’re very fearful of the school environment?” said Walsh-Rock. 

According to the National Alliance on Mental Health Illness, one in six children aged 6–17 experience a mental health disorder each year. In a recent CDC study, 22% of all high school students reported they had seriously considered suicide. 

According to VeryWell Mind, these 12 states now allow students to take “mental health days” as excused absences. But not every parent supports the idea, and some mental health experts question whether allowing mental health days is adequate to address broader mental health challenges. 

The National Association of School Psychologists supports the idea that mental health should be treated the same as physical health, but warns that mental health days should not become a substitute for other mental health services delivered by trained professionals.