Role of School Social Worker in Psychosocial Issues with Children and Adolescents

Aggression, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and anger are typical in school-age children andadolescents. These issues are a sign of mental health disorders and psychosocial problems. With 34.8% of thepopulation between the ages of 0 and 19 in 2021, India has the highest percentage of children andadolescents globally. A WHO report states that 10–20% of all children suffer from one or more mental orbehavioral issues. Parents spend their wealth beyond their means to support their children's education anddemands because they want them to do well in school. However, parents lack the time to deal with hiddenproblems in their children's lives that affect their behavior, health, social skills, and academic performance. Inraising children, all parties involved—parents, educators, and the community—are accountable, but thehidden problems that affect well-being and academic performance are not addressed. If proper care andattention are not provided during this transitional period, adolescents are at risk of developing severalpsychosocial issues that will affect their cognitive abilities, academic stress, problem-solving skills, depressionsymptoms, and general mental health for a long time. Programs for school-based support are crucial forrecognizing and resolving these issues early. School social workers possess both theoretical understandingand practical experience at the levels of individuals, families, schools, and communities. This study explainsthe psychological problems and how they affect the lives of students. The results show that a person'semotional, behavioral, cognitive, and social aspects are influenced by a variety of socioeconomic,environmental, technological, social, and relationship factors. Thus, school social workers can provide copingmechanisms in a variety of ways