More and more teens around the world are speaking out about mental health and asking for better support in their schools and communities.

Students say they are feeling tired, stressed, and overwhelmed. They want adults to listen and help them.

In South Africa, 17-year-old student activist Amina Farouk told reporters, “We are tired of being told to just deal with it. Mental health is not a weakness. Students should feel safe to talk about it.”

Amina helped organize a protest at her school where students held signs and shared their stories, according to a news article from Johannesburg.

In the United States, hundreds of schools took part in a Mental Health Awareness Week, reported by a national youth organization. Students wore green to show support and held events to talk about anxiety and stress.

Olivia Ramirez, a student in Texas, told our reporter, “My school only has one counselor for 500 students. She tries her best, but she is too busy to help everyone. Sometimes students have to wait weeks just to talk to someone. It makes things harder and we feel alone.”

Around the world, students are taking action. In Japan, students held a Silence Day to show how many people suffer in silence, according to a news report from Tokyo. In Canada, young people are asking for therapists to be available in schools all the time, based on a youth health survey. In India, students are asking for classes that teach how to manage stress, according to a student group in New Delhi.

Some schools are starting to listen and make changes. They are offering mental health days off, hiring more counselors, and creating safe places where students can talk and get help, said education officials.

At our school, students recently held a wellness fair during lunch. There were places to talk, color, listen to music, and do yoga. A guest speaker talked about stress and how to ask for help. One student said it was the first time he felt like his stress mattered.

Experts say schools need to do more. Dr. Martina Griggs, a child psychologist in London, told a news website, “This is not just a small problem. Mental health is a real health issue, and students should not be ignored.”

Students everywhere want help, support, and for schools to care about their mental health.

Amina said in an interview, “We are not being dramatic. We are just being real. We are the future, and we are asking for help now before it is too late.”