‘Reducing stigma’: could mental health days help California students?

Dr Mark Reinecke, a clinical director and psychologist with the Child Mind Institute, is broadly supportive of the bill, which he said reduces stigma and encourages young people to seek help, something that could offer long-term benefits.

For about three-quarters of adults who struggle with anxiety or obsessive-compulsive disorder, symptoms first appeared in childhood, he said. Seeking treatment earlier could be a way to head off future problems.

Yet, Reinecke cautions against what he said could be “unintended consequences” of the legislation, which could increase absenteeism or even worsen symptoms for students dealing with phobias and anxiety around school.