Gatekeeper-trainings on Campus: Challenges and Opportunities

There is a real challenge in evaluating programs like gatekeeper training. The first issue is how to define success or impact of the program. Read article here.

Problems in School May Be a Sign of Depression

Academic decline, or problems in school, may be a sign of depression in some children. Of course, not all problems in school are linked to depression, and not all depressed children have significant problems in school, either.

How Does Depression Interfere With Academic Performance? Read article here.

Why Childhood Suffering Can Lead to Depression—And Even Addiction

It has long been established that childhood trauma increases a person’s risk for developing depression and addiction later in life. Now, a small study of teens from the University of Texas offers one possible explanation. The findings reveal that childhood suffering triggers a disruption in particular neural networks, which are linked to a greater chance of developing substance abuse problems, depression, or both in teens. Read article here.

Youth Mental Health Disorders

Mayo Clinic researchers — in partnership with numerous national mental health advocacy organizations — are issuing new simple-to-understand tools to help identify youth who may have mental health disorders.

Despite well-documented levels of emotional and behavioral concerns in the nation’s youth, studies have repeatedly shown that up to 75% of youth with mental health disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, anxiety, and eating disorders are usually not identified, and youth do not receive the care they need. Read article here.

Coors Foundation Grants $500,000 to Youth Suicide Prevention Program

The Carson J. Spencer Foundation has received a $500,000 grant from the Adolph Coors Foundation to launch a social entrepreneurship program for prevention of youth suicide.

The FIRE Within program (Future Innovative and Resilient Entrepreneurs) takes students through a yearlong course in social entrepreneurship, mental health advocacy and leadership training. Its goal is to enable students to run enterprises that raise revenue and awareness for suicide prevention. Program participants compete for micro-grants to seed enterprises. Students receive mentoring from local leaders as they develop and run businesses. They also receive training as suicide-prevention advocates. Read article here.

Anxiety and Perfectionism in Kids: Tips for Parents

Often, anxiety can be associated with perfectionism. Children who are perfectionists have standards and expectations that are difficult or impossible to meet. Children with elevated perfectionism often become very upset and distressed when their performance (or the performance of others) doesn’t meet their standards, and they often spend excessive time worrying about their performance in various situations, including at school and in their social relationships. For children with high levels of perfectionism, anything that is below their standards may be viewed as a complete failure. Read article here.

Mental Illness Is a Leading Cause of Disability in Youth

Mental health problems such as depression account for nearly half of all disability among young people between the ages of 10 and 24, according to a new study from the World Health Organization (WHO). Read article here.

Contact the White House to urge the reversal of the White House Condolence Letter Policy!

On Wednesday, May 25th, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), co-chair of the Senate Military Family Caucus, along with a bipartisan group of Senate colleagues, sent a letter to the President urging the reversal of a long-standing White House policy that withholds letters of condolence from families of servicemen and servicewomen who die by suicide. In the letter, the Senators highlight the incidence of suicide among troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, and reiterate that ending the policy “will provide comfort to the families struggling with the loss of a loved one, while also reducing the stigma that prevents too many men and women in uniform from seeking the mental health care they need,” (Senator Barbara Boxer). The letter is also signed by the following Senators:

Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD)
Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV)
Senator Jon Tester (D-MT)
Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR)
Senator Mark Udall (D-CO)
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)
Senator Richard Burr (R-NC)
Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR)

With this latest Senate action, now is a great time for all of us to contact the White House in support of the above Senators and in support of military families across the country.

VIA EMAIL
The White House may be contacted via email 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by visiting http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact. After filling in the required information, under subject select “Afghanistan and Iraq” and post the following message:
I support the US Senators who recently wrote to you regarding the White House position on no condolence letters to military families who lose loved ones to suicide. Mr. President, please say no to the stigma associated with mental health issues and suicide. Please change this policy now!

VIA PHONE
The White House may be contacted via phone at 202-456-1111. When you call indicate that you want to leave a message for the President:
I support the US Senators who recently wrote to you regarding the White House position on no condolence letters to military families who lose loved ones to suicide. Mr. President, please say no to the stigma associated with mental health issues and suicide. Please change this policy now!

Please contact the White House with the above message this weekend through June 3rd, to not only show your support for your Senators but also to lend a voice to military families across the country.

How Not To Keep A Secret

Developed by Youth Health Connection (YHC), How Not To Keep A Secret (HNTKAS) is a peer leader training program designed to provide education to teens about depression and suicide, increase help-seeking behaviors, and decrease stigma associated with mental illness. The day-long HNTKAS training includes a clinical presentation, the documentary Break Free from Depression, and interactive activities.

Program Objectives
At the end of training, participants will be able to:

1. State that depression is a treatable illness and that suicide is preventable.
2. List a minimum of four symptoms of adolescent depression.
3. List a minimum of three warning signs of suicide.
4. Identify a minimum of three adults, inside and outside the school setting, with whom they would connect and talk if they are concerned about their own mental health and safety or that of relevant others.

Schools that participate in the How Not To Keep A Secret program should have policies and procedures in place to respond to students who are at risk for depression and suicide. Read more here.

School Bullying Widely Underreported

Florida officials say the number of bullying incidents reported to the state are so few that some wonder whether the state’s strong law is not protecting children. Read article here.