LOUISVILLE, Ky (WDRB) - Many people are feeling stressed, and Suicide Prevention Week, which runs through Saturday, is focusing on students and young adults.
“I can just tell that anxiety levels are through the roof,” said Tenesha Marshall, a guidance counselor for Jefferson County Public Schools. “Students are not in their normal traditional setting, things are different, schedules are different.”
Those are just some of the reasons school counselors are concerned with rising suicide rates across the country, especially in young people.
Many of the signs are often overlooked by parents.
“They say 'Well, we didn't notice anything, they were popular, everyone liked them.’ You never know,” said Marshall.
The Pete Foundation, a Louisville-based suicide resource organization, created an 18-minute video alerting parents and others to warning signs. The foundation hopes to share the video with districts around the state.
“Someone will kind of tell you, indirectly, that they are thinking about suicide by saying things like 'I can't handle this anymore, I can't do this anymore, I can't go on, this is too much for me to handle,’” said Pete Foundation Director Michelle Jones.
According to a June 2020 CDC report the prevalence of anxiety disorder symptoms was 25.5%, or about three times as high as a year earlier.
A letter from the National Association of Psychologists was sent to parents of JCPS students this week. It included tips for parents and educators on how to promote resilience, ensure access to school-based mental health support and encourage others.
Marshall said parents should ask their children about their well-being every day.
“How's your day? How are you feeling? How are things going?” she said.
Not being able to see and talk with the students firsthand at school has been challenging, but the communication and awareness is now more important than ever, Marshall said.
“To make sure we stay in touch with our students and do everything that we can to meet their needs as best as possible,” she said.
For suicide prevention help, click here.
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