Hoover High students host self-care fair to address mental health concerns

After the past four years, students at Hoover High School said they needed the lessons in self-care.

A FAIR Health study found self-harm, substance abuse and mental health diagnoses spiked more than 90% during the pandemic.

“The effects of school closures and the implications of the pandemic have far-ranging impacts than anything I will be able to articulate,” Jason Babineau, senior director of Community Schools, said.

Hoover High is one of five schools within the San Diego Unified School District that has adopted the community schools model. This model assesses the school’s needs and found that mental health and ways to deal with stress was the third largest area of focus for students, parents and staff.

Vicky Negrete is a Hoover High sophomore and explained how the pandemic affected her peers.

“We just closed up, and we couldn't communicate to anyone, so I feel like that just brought a lot of anxiety and depression,” Negrete said.

Students took combating this trend into their own hands with dozens of booths that coach their classmates through ways they should protect their health and cope with stress.

This is Hoover High's first-ever self-care fair — and it likely won’t be the last.

“We have many years of healing that we need to do with everyone, but particularly our students,” Babineau said.