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Suicide Prevention

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Being a preteen and teenager isn't always easy. Besides raging hormones, there's academic stress, family stress and interpersonal politics, which are now omnipresent, thanks to social media. For some young students, theses issues can snowball into anxietyand depression, two mental health struggles that can bring down a student's performance. And then there's the worst possible scenario -- when a student chooses to take his or her life.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in individuals between 10 and 24 years old, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Across the country, suicide rates are on the rise,  but there is some good news. According to the Jason Foundation, four in five teens who attempt suicide show clear warning signs, meaning early detection and prevention is both possible and helpful.

School administrators take many steps to keep their students healthy and safe, from holding fire drills and lock-down simulations to providing flu shotson campus and hosting classes to discuss the risks of drug and alcohol use. Mental health can be a tricky area to discuss with students and parents, but it's equally important, and statistically even moreso.

Several groups offer support for schools who are looking to help students who might be struggling with mental health issues. Following are some of the resources available to school districts, from government-based groupsto university-sponsoredprograms, that can help guide your schools through implementing some type of plan to identify struggling students and help them get the guidance they need to survive the tough ascent into adulthood.
    -Taken from "Mental Health Resources for Administrators" article in Texas School Business, January/February 2019 edition.

Suicide Resource Clickable Links

Suicide Prevention Resource Center Link

 

Texassuicideprevention.org

 

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
 

 

Society for the prevention of teen suicide