Mental Health assistance, Resources provided to West Students

In 2023, a national study was conducted on the biggest killers of the American population, for ages 10-23. The biggest killer was unintentional injury, and right behind it was suicide. 

Suicide occurs when an individual intentionally performs an action or series of actions that leads to their death; despite it being one of the most preventable causes of death, it still looms over people’s lives. Every person deals with mental health, even if some are more open about it than others. No matter the person or group, everyone has struggles with their mental health. 

Some data to illustrate this idea is natives to Hawaiian and other Pacific islands had an annual prevalence of mental illness around 12.2%, Hispanics around 20.7%, non-Hispanic multiracial had around 35.5%, LGBTQ+ members around 53.2%, etc. In the U.S., roughly 28.5% of people aged 6-18 face poor mental health. That means about every 1:4 students face mental health struggles. Among other data, approximately 20.4% of students seriously consider suicide, 16% actually formulate a suicide plan, and roughly 9.5% attempt to take their own life. This is why Morristown West takes mental health extremely seriously, no matter the circumstances. This data was gathered from cdc.gov, nami.org, and nimh.nih.gov.

At MWHS, there’s a variety of staff members whose main role is to support students throughout their teenage years, including any mental challenges someone could be facing. The members of that staff include Karen Collins, Jessie Alder, Tenesha Carpenter, Kelly Ezell, Erica Gillett, Renae Byrd, and Melanie Justis. These consist of our school psychologists and guidance counselors. If needed, students can visit the guidance office at any point throughout the school day and speak with one of the readily available counselors. Byrd comments,”...students can visit their school counselor for help with mental health issues…” Additionally, counselors can get students to connect to one of MWHS on-site therapists if needed.

If a student is unable to reach any of the counselors during a mental crisis, they should use one of the many resources provided throughout the state and country. Some of these include the Youth Villages Specialized Crisis Services 1-866-791-9224, 988lifeline.org, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255), and many more that are listed on MWHS’s site. Many of these options allow for calling, texting, and support multiple languages, including sign language, so no matter the person, they can reach out for help. Along with those resources, there are many websites that support similar functions. The most used out of these webpages are suicidepreventionlifeline.org, afsp.org, crisistextline.org, and there are many more that still provide excellent support.

Overall, MWHS takes great care and responsibility when it comes to both student-staff mental health, and it is still trying to constantly improve these services. If you are going through something and wish to speak to someone, know that there are people who will listen. If you cannot bring yourself to meet with someone, then use one of the many resources designed to help you anonymously and remotely. If you believe someone you know is struggling with their mental health, gather context, speak with them personally if able, and then contact local resources. Know that you are not alone and not weak for speaking out about your struggles. To conclude, never fear that those around you would mock you for speaking about your issues, for anyone would rather have you cry on their shoulder than discard your remains.