Taiwanese high schools will start offering mental health leave to students this month, to tackle rising youth suicide rates and high levels of stress and depression.
Under the program, high school students can request up to three days off each semester, in full or half days, without proof of need, but with parental consent. According to the Ministry of Education, more than forty schools have shown interest in the trial period.
The scheme is in response to growing concerns about mental health issues among young people in Taiwan. Between 2014 and 2022, the suicide rate among people aged 15 to 24 more than doubled, even as the overall rate fell.
But some Taiwanese authorities have been criticized for their response to the crisis, with advocates saying extreme academic pressure on students is a major cause of stress, anxiety and depression.
In 2022, a senior Ministry of Health and Welfare official came under fire from youth advocacy groups after linking the increase in suicides to the “growing number of tall buildings in Taiwan.” His comments were in response to a question from UN experts about whether Taiwanese authorities had investigated systemic factors such as academic pressure, and were widely criticized for being dismissive of growing concerns about the impact this was having on students in Taiwan and other East Asian countries.
In 2022, the Child Welfare League Foundation conducted a questionnaire of students, and found that more than 12% reported “severe” stress levels, and that this was more than twice as bad among high school students as among juniors. Nearly a quarter of high school students said they had experienced major depression. The research shows that schoolwork (77%), future prospects (67%) and interpersonal relationships (43%) are the three main causes of stress.
“I could have easily gotten into the top three grades in my class in high school, but now my grades are not as good as they should be,” one high school student told the university. Observerwho also cited personal and family relationships and body image as sources of anxiety.
“This has made me very worried, and I’m starting to worry about whether or not I’ll be able to go to college or something like that.”
The girl said her teacher had discussed the mental health leave with the class, but she didn’t think many of her fellow students would respond.
“I don’t think you can address an emotional or mental state by taking time off from school. It’s just an escape,” she said.
“No one is going to take this kind of leave… Even if they do, they just stay home and study. I think many parents are against this policy. They’re not high school students, so they don’t know how much pressure we’re under.”
Hsiao Chih-hsien, a psychologist at National Sun Yat-sen University’s counseling and health department, said the furloughs were a good step in the right direction.
“Mental health leave has a certain degree of effectiveness. It allows students to relieve the pressing stress of the moment and have enough buffer rest time to digest and cope with their discomfort,” Hsiao said.
Hsiao suggested the program could also help improve social attitudes toward mental illness. “If mental discomfort is viewed in a normalized way,” Hsiao said, “students will be braver in seeking help.”
In 2018, poll found that more than 53% of people in Taiwan thought mental illness was stigmatized in their society. An 18-year-old student from Taipei said he believed this would deter many young people from taking advantage of the leave out of “fear that they will be treated as mentally or psychologically ill by their classmates.”
The high school pilot program emulates initiatives already underway at dozens of Taiwanese universities and offers up to five days of mental health leave.
The National Taiwan University Student Association said there were 1,686 mental health leave applications last semester, accounting for 5% of students. This share was higher among art students, of whom 11% requested leave.
“As there are days in each semester when students can take a leave of absence without supporting documentation, this is very useful and flexible for students who are unable to attend class due to temporary mental health issues,” a spokesperson said.
The union says students are positive about the program, but there are teething problems, including some professors deducting attendance points from students who take days off.
Government guidance on the scheme advises universities to pay more attention to the emotional wellbeing of students and ensure that counseling and other services are available in addition to the furlough days.
“All teachers (including lecturers and supervisors), professional advisors and relevant staff in educational and administrative units should pay attention to the physical and mental health of students, and should not cause discrimination or stigmatization as a result of the use of physical and mental adjustment leave ” the report said, urging that students be encouraged to seek help instead.