Mental Health in Schools: How Can Teens Support Each Other?
No one wants to talk about it, but suicide is a leading cause of death among teens. The good news is, schools are uniquely positioned to help.
This is a special collab with PBS Newshour Student Reporting Labs, co-produced with students from Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga, California.
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**If you or anyone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or feelings right now, call the suicide prevention hotline: 1-800-273-TALK, that’s 1-800-273-8255. If you don’t want to talk to someone, you can text 741741, anonymously, and a counselor will come to your aide, whether or not you are currently in a crisis.
**What programs help prevent teen suicide?
This toolkit: https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/sma12-4669.pdf provides research based recommendations for how schools can implement comprehensive suicide prevention programs.
**What is Sources of Strength?
Sources of Strength is an evidence-based suicide prevention program that uses adult advisors and peer leaders to support students’ mental health. It’s a suicide prevention program that focuses on building strength, support, and hope to help students navigate the complexities of life.
**What role can peer leaders play in suicide prevention?
Sources of Strength trains peer leaders to look out for signs that a fellow student might be struggling, and provides training on talking with students about issues they may be facing. Peer leaders are also trained in identifying when it’s appropriate to alert a trusted adult about a problem.
Note:
Peer Health Exchange served as content advisers for this episode: https://www.peerhealthexchange.org/
SOURCES:
School‑Based Suicide Prevention: A Framework for Evidence‑Based Practice:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/599d959cb8a79b775bacaec1/t/5a70b88c9140b7bbe7f17146/1517336723785/suicide+article-+schools.pdf
Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’: Preventing Suicides a Toolkit for Highschools:
https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/sma12-4669.pdf
The Jason Foundation: Facts and Stats:
http://jasonfoundation.com/youth-suicide/facts-stats/
CDC: Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance:
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/2017/ss6708.pdf
Suicide Prevention Resource Center: Evidence Based Prevention:
https://www.sprc.org/keys-success/evidence-based-prevention
Edutopia: Suicide Prevention Can Start in School
https://www.edutopia.org/teenage-suicide-prevention-screening-programs
NPR: How one Colorado town is tackling suicide prevention starting with the kids
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/10/23/658834805/how-one-colorado-town-is-tackling-suicide-prevention-starting-with-the-kids
CDC: Causes of Death by Age Group:
https://www.cdc.gov/injury/images/lc-charts/leading_causes_of_death_by_age_group_2017_1100w850h.jpg
TEACHERS: Get your students in the discussion on KQED Learn, a safe place for middle and high school students to investigate controversial topics and share their voices. https://learn.kqed.org/discussions/
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#mentalhealth #suicideprevention
45 Comments
Approximately 1 in 6 teenagers reported having suicidal thoughts in 2017. According to the CDC, suicide is the second leading cause of death among 10-to 24 year-olds. What role do you think schools should play in helping students grapple with increasing levels of depression and anxiety? What kinds of programs do you think are most effective?
Thank you for making this video to inform others about this epidemic and how we can prevent it.
And anyone who is going thru a hard time so hope you have a good day and don't worry things will get better😁👌👍❤
The problem with the 1-800 number and many mental health programs is that once you tell them you're feeling suicidal they whisk you off and lock you up. If they don't do that then they tell you to make an appointment with a therapist- which can take weeks. So either the suicidal person has the stress, stigma, and financial burden of going to a treatment center or they're told to make an appointment and not be suicidal until they see a psych. All of this is complicated more if that person doesn't have health insurance or the out-of-pocket cost is more than they can afford. Add to that the dangerous 6 week trial period for any antidepressants, then you have a person who ends up more unstable than if they hadn't asked for help. Free, extensive, and accessable- that's the only way that mental healthcare will work.
eagle pride
When did I subbed to this channel?🤔
Amazing video
Anyone else see that "Accidents" are number 1? We need to address this.
10/10.
3:08 – "It's 200 pages, so we didn't read all of it [but we're making a video about it anyway]" – 🤨 I'm a slow reader, so reading through 200 pages would be a chore for me, but surely there's at least one person at PBSDS who can read fast enough to be able to get through the whole thing before (or even while) you make the video. 🤔
One of my students attempted suicide. It was in the beginning of the year so I didn't know her yet. It's easy to look back on it and see the warning signs after. There's one particular moment that haunts me and it's taken years for me to forgive myself. I was suffering from depression at that time myself although I didn't know it yet. I left teaching that year and haven't gone back to working at a school since. Our suicide prevention training was a 20 minute video. Teachers aren't trained therapists but sometimes we are expected to be and it's a difficult line to walk because we are already spread so thin. We're the front lines but we are truly powerless sometimes. At least that's the way I felt. I'm not even sure what my point is with the comment but I wanted to leave it here anyway. Thanks for listening.
Thanks a lot for the video! Mental health is big problem in the U.S, and I think that opening up the conversation is a great way to start solving these problems; the more people there are who talk about it, the more people will feel like it needs to be talked about.
About the stigma: Mental health is still seen as separate from physical health. But mental health problems are just diseases/conditions of the brain, which is of course a physical organ. Hopefully some day depression, anxiety and other neurological conditions are viewed no differently than, say, diabetes or broken bones are. Neurology and psychology are still very young as far as health related disciplines are concerned, and researchers understand so little about the highly complex biological machine between our ears. So it's really not surprising that the stigma still pervades.
I know it’s an easy fix to just “get schools to do more”, but as a teacher, you have to remember: We already have a packed curriculum to teach; schools already lack the adequate resources to teach that; most teachers are underpaid and often need a second job just to get by; and teachers are NOT mental health professionals.
I’m not saying schools shouldn’t do more, but adequate training and useful resources MUST be provided first.
In Brazil, call: 188
No Brasil, ligue para o Centro de Valorização da Vida, pelo número 188.
O CVV – Centro de Valorização da Vida realiza apoio emocional e prevenção do suicídio, atendendo voluntária e gratuitamente todas as pessoas que querem e precisam conversar, sob total sigilo por telefone, email e chat 24 horas todos os dias.
https://www.cvv.org.br/
To my knowledge, there were no formal departments or counselors ready to discuss mental health issues when I was in school. We had general policies but the solution was always to go out of school for things like therapists, psychologists, family, etc. Having a general manual is definitely an improvement compared to what I had since it at least provides something to reference to and (hopefully) build upon. My issue is the way that suicide is still being framed in the United States.
Even with peer leader groups, I worry that the discussion will be framed in a preventive manner. Like, what can we do to prevent this from happening? Having these conversations be generally known is great, but I would hope that there will be space to explore what makes suicide so alluring as an option to people who consider it. I feel like one of the biggest problems America faces is that to a lot of us, the only way we can approach suicide is as a tragedy, something that is wholly bad. If understanding is our priority, then we have to acknowledge that to some people, suicide is a genuine option for something better. Breaking down that line of thinking and poking holes in it and providing alternatives is (in my opinion) the best way to combat suicide.
For an example, there's a podcast where a philosophy professor criticized the assertion one of their students made about "life being meaningless". They said that to say all life is meaningless is to establish a standard nobody could reach, it's a way to set yourself up for failure. Link to the podcast if anyone's curious: http://philosophy247.org/podcasts/meaning/
Hi, I need your advise!!! My friend took drugs and she is suicidel (we are 11) I want to tell an adult but then my friend would NEVER trust me! She only told me so she would know if I did it Onominously. I'm not suicidel anymore but my friend is getting worse everyday! Tell me what to do please!!! I'm worried about her! Thank you
Short answer: They don't.
It doesn't need a long thought about the question.
It would be a clear No , considering how lots of school treat some students unfairly and with the recent things that have happened in this blasphemous system, I don't think they are even trying to make it better.
How can the thing that causes suicide prevent suicide
1:32 Number 1 attempt to make certain people with Mental conditions such as ADHD and Autism are treated in a way that isn’t so disrupting to a class. This is coming from a Middle School 12 yr old boy. In my math Class there are atleast 4 people with ADHD 1 out of 4 is treated and that one is me. 3 people Always talking out
Shit I’m not an adult
No
My school doesn’t give a shit about it’s students committing suicide I’ve literally told all my teachers I’ve wanted to kill myself and no one even gave a shit all they said was “stop begging for attention “ like the fuck?
school IS the reason most people kill themselves
The answer: they can… but they choose not to
Oh, I thought school was why 1/5 people seriously consider suicide.
They can't prevent it if they cause it
Short answer: No, they cannot.
They can…. they choose not to… We don't even have a counsellor to talk to… Nobody
no they dont
It’s just school, if I ain’t have school I would be a very happy person
Asking to make schools prevent suicide is literally like trying to do surgery with a gun, you can't fix the problem by using the problem
School is my reason for being suicidal
There is absolutely no way ANY school can help prevent suicides. They are the main cause of teen suicides now. End of story
Wrong it’s the opposite.
Short answer: no
I am sending this link because this book will save lives. https://www.amazon.com/Faith-Knowing-Shawn-Blaney-ebook/dp/B094QDFX77/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Faith+%26+Knowing&qid=1622215994&s=digital-text&sr=1-1
It is the opposite way of preventing suicide, sch cause suicide. I
Really wanna die because of sch . Fk it
How can the thing that cause suicide prevent suicide? FUCK SCH. I wanna die thx to sch
There is nothing anyone can do
If you can't do it yourself then there is NO HOPE
I would argue that many material factors are ignored. To reduce suicide, we need much more than counsellors. You need revamp schooling, childhood and society.
I am an avid #MentalHealthAwareness advocate and spoken word performer, and I love this so much. I travel the country trying to bring that awareness on stages, in classrooms, hospitals, and on my YouTube channel, so I get excited when I see other advocates. 💙
my best friend just took her life. it brakes me hoping to sppred awarness
((I really need to get some exercise next year, in spring or the summertime (🌈🌷🍄👒🍓🐸🌽🍎🍋/☀🌊🍉🌴⛱🍦🎽); Sincerely, Justin Maduako)).
Do you have a similar video for Spanish speaking students or other languages?