Suicidal thoughts by isolated students worry school leaders
WARREN, BUTLER COUNTIES
A recent jump at a — local school system in the number of students needing medical attention after suicidal thoughts has other area school systems on alert.
During November, 15 Mason students were taken to the hospital after reporting suicidal thoughts. The local incidents of “suicide ideation” mirroredanational trend of students reporting such thoughts.
MasonSchoolsSuperintendent JonathanCoopermade the recent spike in incidents partofhisweekly video statements in late November telling school families “this is concerning to us.”
The district is not alone. Anationwidesurveyofhigh school and college students in August found nearly 25% of the high school students questioned said they knewa peer who had experienced suicidalthoughtssinceschool closures began at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March.
The survey conducted in part by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, showed 5% of both high school and college students reporting suicide attempts in the months prior to the survey’s release.
Mason schoolofficials said their local instances during the heightened tensions for students in thispandemichas seen even more resources shifted to assuring the mental health and well-being of teens in the southern Warren County district.
“Now more than ever we are experiencing an increase in children and adolescents expressing signs of hopelessness, depression and anxiety aboutwhat is going on in our countryandacross theworld including the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Nicole Pfirman, mental wellness coordinator for the 10,500-student school system.
“These feelings, along with the social isolation that some childrenareexperiencingdue to COVID-19, have led to an increase in suicidal ideation. As a result, we have seen an increase in families requesting mental health supports for their children during the school day. We are hopeful thatthroughthesupportsand serviceswehave inplaceand a return to social normalcy, that we will be able to slow this trend,” said Pfirman.
Mason offic ials also releasedastatementaspartof the district’s regular, weekly communications to school parents noting “suicide tends tobemorelikelyamongthose who are dealing with a mental health issue, individuals with a trauma history, or those with a family history of suicide.”
“If you notice your child expressing thoughts about wanting to die, feeling like they have no reason to live, talking about feeling trapped, or searching for information aboutsuicidemethodsonline, seekprofessional helpimmediately,” said officials.
BetsyFuller, spokeswoman forthe 16,800-studentLakota Schools, said the district has expanded the number of mental-health counselors in the district’s 22 schools.
“We have actually seen less hospitalizations of our students this year compared to last,” said Fuller.
“Through our partnership with MindPeace, we have been able to place schoolbased therapists in 15 of our schools and continue to do so, with the goal of having a therapist at each of our buildings.”
“Our counselors are connecting students with the care they need through this service, as well as referring them to outside help when needed. Additionally, the student members of our (teen suicide prevention) Hope Squads at both Lakota East andLakotaWest high schools are doing a tremendous job reaching out to their peers and referring them to counselors for help when necessary,” she said.
And the nearly 4,000 students whose families chose to have them take all virtual learning from home aren’t being left out, she said.
“With roughly 25 percent of our students enrolled in ourVirtual LearningOption, we have alsobeenvery intentional aboutmakingsure that they have access to ourmental wellness and prevention programming.”