LYNN — Recognizing the impact that the last presidential election had on students, Lynn Public Schools administrators and staff members plan to offer support services to students who may be experiencing post-election stress disorder.
Coined after the divisive 2016 presidential election, post-election stress disorder is a recognized condition that consists of anxiety stemming from political polarization and a person’s fears about how election results could impact their lives.
A recent survey conducted by the American Psychological Association found that more than half, or about 56 percent, of respondents identified the 2020 presidential election as a major stressor.
With election results still uncertain — a winner of the race between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden had still not been declared by 5 p.m. Thursday — mental health professionals expect that stress and anxiety will continue to build.
“I think we acknowledge how charged the current climate is and how aware our families are of how students might be feeling as a result of all that’s being talked about,” said Superintendent Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “I think we learned from the last election the impact that an election can have on students and families and leveraging that experience, we wanted to be proactive this time.”
Following the 2016 presidential election — where Trump defeated Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton — Tutwiler said there was a lot of fear among students and families, in terms of what was going to happen to them and how their lives would be affected.
No matter the outcome of Tuesday’s election, Tutwiler said the district wanted to make sure it was prepared to provide parents and families whatever support they needed.
On its Facebook page and website, the Lynn Public Schools has issued guidance for parents and caregivers on how they can acknowledge and address the wide range of strong and mixed emotions their children may be experiencing. The advice is not only aimed at supporting students, but helping parents and caregivers stay healthy in the midst of a “stress-filled community event,” according to the post.
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to reach out to the student support staff in their respective schools if they would like additional support, resources, or information for themselves, their children or their families.
“We really wanted to be a partner, a support for families by offering guidance around supporting their children at home,” said Tutwiler. “We don’t have the luxury of seeing the kids the next day or seeing the kids in person to check in and support them in classrooms or in the office at school. So we wanted to provide parents with that support.”
Part of the effort has involved establishing support services for students during the school day, even while instruction is being provided remotely. If students are upset about what they’re reading or seeing on the news, there is a staff member available to help them, Tutwiler said.
“The first line of defense is our teachers,” said Tutwiler. “This would fall into the realm of trauma and we’ve done some professional development before the school year started, but also each month around what teachers should be looking for and how they should structure their remote learning classes in a way that reflects that there could be needs students have.”
Tutwiler said all teachers have been trained on what to look for and how they should respond to different scenarios. Teachers have also been instructed to connect students to the next layer of protection, if necessary, which would be the school social worker. Every school in the district now has a dedicated social worker, which was not the case in past school years, he said.
“Quite frankly, it does not matter the outcome,” said Tutwiler. “Who knows what will happen when a victor is announced, (in terms of) what kinds of images students will see or hear about or read about? It can be scary. We just wanted to make sure as a district, we were ready, prepared, and really embracing (an) orientation of support for families.”
The guidance that the school district has offered to parents and caregivers is as follows:
Tips to Structure a Discussion: Validate emotions and concerns
- Keep lines of communication open. This will provide the reassurance that you are available to listen and to help them through this challenging time.
- Normalize the wide range of feelings and emotions they may be feeling. It’s perfectly normal to have a wide range of feelings. Acknowledge they may feel overwhelmed with the intensity of their emotions.
- Provide reassurance that the school/classroom community is a safe place where belonging, accountability, mutual respect and empathy are core values.
- Instill hope despite uncertainty. Students may feel preoccupied with worry about the future: how the election results may impact their families, their identity, their hopes for the future etc. Acknowledge the crisis/problem.
- Acknowledge that our country/community has been experiencing multiple stressors at one time: a pandemic, events that have highlighted inequity and injustices, and a contentious/difficult election cycle.
- Seek to listen and understand different perspectives. For many, the issues that have come to the forefront directly involve their identities, their voice, and injustice.
Tips to encourage effective coping
- Practice self-care.
- Talk about what you are feeling and be aware if you are being impacted physically, socially and emotionally.
- Focus on what you can control vs. what you cannot.
- List all that you are grateful for in the midst of possible community strife.
- Look to what unites us as a community versus what divides us.
- Be intentional about including mindfulness into your day. Mindfulness can play a key role in decreasing levels of anxiety. Deep breathing or a mindfulness exercise can help regain a sense of calm when things feel uncertain or out of your control. If this is something that is of interest for your students, our Student Support staff can work with you and your family to identify resources.
Guidance for recovery or referral
- Supportive, neutral communication should help to restore a sense of calm and safety.
- Assure your students that they have supportive teachers and school support staff that can assist them during this difficult period of time.
- Extend grace and kindness to yourself and those around you.
- If you have a student that continues to perseverate about the election or continues to have strong emotional content, please refer to your clinical staff for additional support.
Tips for Coping with Emotional Stress
- Digital detox — especially in the evening. Take a break from the news, social media etc. Stress affects cortisol, which can interfere with your sleep.
- Spend quality time with loved ones who don’t stress you out.
- Find time to meditate/practice mindfulness.
- Write down your thoughts.
- Do things that make you laugh or things you enjoy.
- Eat mindfully.
- Try to get enough rest so that your brain is functioning at its best.
- Go outside and get some exercise – studies show that increased exercise correlates with decreased stress levels.
- Stay focused on the present moment. Try to catch yourself if you are worrying about things that may or may not happen. Refocus your mind on today. Take one day at a time.
- Take control of what you can.
