At the Lansing Central School District, we have the resources in place to assist our students. Learn more about these resources below.

Quick Facts: Anxiety and Depression

Find more information at www.mentalhealthconnect.org

Common Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety

• Feelings of excessive worry, fear or stress: May include frequent crying, feeling easily overwhelmed and/or misunderstood
• Irritability: Hypersensitivity and over-reaction to mild situations.
• Fatigue or loss of energy: May include sustained physical or mental exhaustion without exertion
• Restlessness or feeling “keyed up”: May include difficulty sitting still, fidgeting with hands and feet
• Sleep difficulties: Insomnia or restless sleep, sleep related tardiness or absenteeism
• Difficulty concentrating or mind going blank: Difficulty making decisions, processing new information
• Somatic Complaints: Frequent complaints of headaches, stomachaches, and other physical ailments
• Panic attacks: May include heart pounding or chest pain; sweating, trembling or shortness of breath
• Separation anxiety: May include fear of being lost or taken from family, fear that something tragic will happen if separation occurs
• Acting out: May include uncooperative or rebellious behavior

Educational Implications of Anxiety

There are many educational implications for students struggling with anxiety. These students often have low self-esteem and high levels of self-criticism which can lower their achievement motivation. They may experience intense distress if work is not perfect and completing assignments can become time consuming and frustrating. Performance anxiety and fear of embarrassment can make oral presentations and group participation excruciating or impossible. Students with anxiety may try to avoid these distressing experiences by avoiding class, assignments or school altogether. Many students with anxiety experience difficulty concentrating and fatigue. Like the heightened state of anxiety itself, both of these can impair learning and retention of information.

Common Signs and Symptoms of Depression

• Depressed or irritable mood: easily triggered tearfulness, feelings of anger, moodiness and/or hypersensitivity
• Somatic Complaints: stomachaches and headaches are common complaints in children and adolescents
• Psychomotor agitation: may include pacing, hand wringing, picking at skin, and adolescents
• Diminish interest in usual activities: loss of interest in favored activities and hobbies , withdrawal from peers and family, school avoidance and decreased school performance, poor hygiene
• Changes in appetite: increased or decreased appetite
• Changes in sleep patterns: may include insomnia, resulting sleepiness in class
• Indecisiveness and diminished concentration: may include distractibility, daydreaming, difficulty making decisions
• Fatigue or loss of energy
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt: extreme sensitivity to rejection or failure, a sense that bad things happen because of them

Educational Implications of Depression

Depression can have a devastating impact on a student’s ability to learn and function within the learning environment. Students with depression may experience a significant drop in grades due to decreased work readiness and work performance, lack of participation, and increased tardiness to and absences from school. Depression has a significant impact on how the brain functions. Students with depression are often unmotivated and disorganized and may have increased difficulty with short term memory. Depression and school failure can be a self-perpetuating cycle. Depression contributes to school failure; school failure can, in turn, exacerbate depression.