On Monday I had an opportunity to speak at a conference for the MN HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) organization. HOSA, an organization for future health professionals, is a National Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) endorsed by the Department of Education and the Health Occupations Education Division of the Association of Career and Technical Education. It was good to see many young students eager to learn about the mental health impact of bullying.
This is the third year in a row that I have spoken at this conference. Many of the attendees are typically interested in careers in the mental health profession and are very eager to learn about the devastating psychological impacts of bullying. They get to learn about the kinds of long-term impacts bullying can have on a victim’s life. They also learn how prolonged bullying can trigger a mental illness and how it can play out in the manner in which the disease affects the individual.
Appropriate development and maintenance of the emotional health of a young person is a critical area of interest for many of the attendees. It is always encouraging to see this kind of interest from students looking for a career as a health professional.