Mental health may be defined as the skills that help people to be happy and to help others to be happy. What if the highest priority of schools were to nurture the mental health of students? And what if this goal is achievable without sacrificing academic goals, but in fact aids in their achievement? What specific activities would be enacted in schools? The author draws upon his experience in psychoeducation in schools, in individual tutoring, in homeschooling, and in the practice of psychotherapy to create a vision of ingredients that can make schools mental-health-friendly environments.

Joseph Strayhorn is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and is affiliated with the Organization for Psychoeducational Tutoring.