Why Schools Need Mental Health Education with Ross Szabo

Why Schools Need Mental Health Education with Ross Szabo

June 24, 2026 · 43 min · Episode 271

About this episode

This episode discusses the importance of mental health education in schools and features Ross Szabo's insights on the topic.

Each summer, Ross hosts a Mental Health Education Institute at UCLA to help schools normalize mental health. The Institute helps schools create a common language for mental health, provides curriculum for mental health literacy and healthy relationships and gives teachers guidelines on how to use lived experiences in the classroom. Participants from the Institute report a high level of success in changing mental health in their schools. The in person Institute is July 13-14 and the virtual Institute is July 15-16.-- This episode explores the mental health skills schools never taught us and why so many young people are struggling because of it. From academic pressure and anxiety to relationships, identity, burnout, and emotional regulation, we talk about the growing need for mental health education in schools and how early conversations can change lives. In this episode of Normalize The Conversation, I sit down with Ross Szabo, a mental health advocate, educator, and founding faculty member at Geffen Academy at UCLA. Ross shares how his own struggles with depression, self-hatred, and a suicide attempt in high school led him to dedicate his life to changing the way schools approach…

People in this episode

Host: Inspiring My Generation

Guest: Ross Szabo

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Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: UCLA, Geffen Academy

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