OCONOMOWOC — In an effort to identify students who need additional help with their mental health, the – will be conducting wellness surveys of seventh-grade students.

According to a letter sent out to families in October, the surveys will ask about feelings and behaviors related to anxiety and depression, as well as questions concerning energy levels, appetite, concentration, self-harm, fears and worries. The surveys have been developed by the American Psychiatric Association and American Academy of Pediatrics. Participation in the survey is voluntary and will be conducted on Tuesday at both Nature Hill and Silver Lake intermediate schools. Students can be excused from taking the survey, but they must do so by Friday.

This is not the first year the Wellness Surveys have been conducted. Stacy Yearling, director of Student Services for OASD, said the screening was first conducted in spring 2020, but was interrupted during the 2020-21 school year because of the pandemic, but was again held during the 2021-22 school year.

“It’s a short, voluntary survey of less than 20 questions, completed online,” Yearling said via email. “The survey is used as a tool to identify students who might benefit from mental health services or resources.”

The goal, Yearling said, for the survey is to be able to identify which students might benefit from mental health services, in particular pertaining to anxiety or depression. If a student should need these services, the OASD Student Services professionals will work to connect students and their families with service providers and resources at both school and in the community. In addition to the survey, students will participate in learning about emotional wellness.

Dr. Peggy Scallon, a board-certified child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist who serves as the medical director of Focus Depression Recovery Adolescent Residential Care at Rogers Behavioral Health in Summit, said schools conducting wellness surveys can be helpful should the information collected be used to connect students and their families with professionals who can help them.

When it comes to what parents, guardians and teachers should keep an eye out for indicators regarding an adolescent’s mental health.

“Parents, guardians or others close to a child should be concerned if a child talks about suicide, exhibits self-harming behaviors such as cutting, insists on isolating themselves, neglects responsibilities such as hygiene or homework, and if they are no longer interested in activities they used to enjoy,” Yearling said of indicators.

While adolescents should be monitored at all time for signs of depression or anxiety, Yearling said some traditional times during which a student might struggle more is the beginning of the school year, when new routines are not yet in place.

“Children and teens face stressors if they are more socially isolated, not attending school, experiencing loss or trauma in their lives or if their families are struggling with difficult issues such as divorce, poverty or other such difficulties,” Yearling said.

It’s important for people close to adolescents to maintain open communication, which can be accomplished by spending quality time together, talking and asking questions, she said. She also advises to do so “in a calm, nonjudgmental manner.”

“Teens have a lot of insecurities and pressures and they love to know that they are accepted and valued by the adults in their lives. They want to feel that adults care about them and they want to feel safe in approaching them with questions or concerns. It is helpful for adults to remain positive, calm and supportive with teens,” Yearling said. “It is also important for adults to set and maintain consistent limits and expectations for behavior. Teens feel better when they understand the rules and expectations in their families. They can feel unsupported when they feel that adults are not paying attention. It is helpful to remember that adults should maintain high warmth and high expectations with their teens.”

As a psychiatrist for 31 years, Yearling said she has seen a correlation between screen use with rising rates of depression, anxiety and suicidality in youth. In fact, she said children and adolescents spend more time on screens than they do in the classroom.

“They also spend more time at home, ‘connected’ but also isolated. They are not engaging as much in ‘adult-readiness’ behaviors such as having a part-time job, driving a car, face-to-face socialization and community activities,” Yearling said. “Parents should encourage their children and teens to maintain healthy routines, limit screen use, emphasis family involvement including chores and extended family time, involvement and service to their communities and schools, get enough sleep, get outdoors and get exercise. They should foster activities that their kids care about and that help them find meaning and purpose in their lives.”