Annie Dio is a social worker at LHS and attended college at UMass Amherst.
She started her career by going into the Animal Science field. She quickly realized she enjoyed the contact with people and talking with them, but did not enjoy the chemistry and biology aspect of dealing with animals.
She switched her majors and continued her education by earning a minor in Education, a major in Psychology, and then a Masters in Social Work. She previously worked as a substitute teacher in three different schools, and was a former health teacher for one year. She then did two internships, one being in a hospital and one being in a school.
Dio was asked about the students’ mental health, and resources available to students here at LHS.
I asked what are the most common mental health issues you see among students? Dio shared that general anxiety, and a lack of interest are a very big part of what she sees among students.
Anxiety and the lack of motivation have been steadily increasing over the past years among LHS students.
When asked about the role social media played in this, Dio said “It’s like a double-edged sword because there are a lot of good resources on social media actually, and a lot of good things that can help build students up, but there has also been a lot of self-diagnosing because of TikTok and TikTok diagnosing.”
She then goes on to use an example of there being a surge about two years ago in how people believed they had Tourette’s Syndrome because of how it was trending on TikTok.
She is also concerned about people’s body image and how students see themselves.
When asked about concerns over substance abuse among LHS students, Dio said substance abuse has been around since she started working at LHS. She has seen it shift from smoking cigarettes to students vaping and marijuana use as that is more accessible with things like gummies, edibles, and vape pens.
There has been an increase according to Dio even though substance abuse has always been around. The concern is how easily students can access these substances. The use of phones and social media are one way that makes it easier for people to get access and share.
Dio said managing stress is important.
“It’s really important to find something you enjoy like an activity or a group of friends that is really good for you and healthy for you, because it is really important to have aspects of your life that give you joy and give you a space to laugh and have fun.”
In LHS a good amount of the student body participates in sports and balance school with that as well.
I asked Ms. Dio “Do you see more stress and anxiety in students who do play sports compared to students who do not?”
She explained that it depended on the specific student and their personality as some people will thrive under pressure and are super focused. She stated “A little anxiety I tell everyone is good and anxiety can fuel you and can help you move, but too much anxiety can be crippling and can make people stop. And some people use sports as a relief and a way to feel better.”
When asked about resources available to students, Dio said there are several and we listed them below:
- Reach out to any of the social workers or guidance counselors in LHS if you are struggling,
- Cartwheels- Referral service for online therapy: https://www.cartwheel.org/
- Link if you need help or someone to talk to: https://www.masshelpline.com/ It’s free, confidential, and no health insurance is required.
