photo credit: sakara ross
Orange alumnae, Peyton Funk, graduated with the class of 2021. She studied psychology at Cleveland State University but later dropped out after a change in plans led her to be a preschool teacher. Currently, she is contemplating returning to school with thought of studying to be a radiology technician. Funk struggled with clinical depression since elementary school, often having bouts that caused her to be sad for several weeks at a time.
In the spirt of September being suicide prevention awarness month, it’s a time to remember the lives lost due to suicide and a reminder to check on one’s loved ones. Funk’s story is unfortunately no longer rare, as depression is a persuasive problem nowadays.
However, this month is a time for those who are struggling to speak out, and with the state’s new legislation, every school district must provide suicide prevention education in grades 6-12.
“I began experiencing depression in fourth grade after a traumatic event. I was diagnosed with ADHD at an early age, so anxiety was always a part of my life. I struggled with socializing more than most kids my age,” Funk said. “I felt very isolated, even though I wasn’t, for most of my life from fourth grade until after I graduated high school.” Now there is new legislation that mandates that students in grades 6-12 receive at least one hour of suicide awareness and prevention education each year. This may be beneficial for students sharing similar sentiments to Funk.
Occasionally, those with depression may commit forms of self harm. The Cleveland Clinic calls this “nonsuicidal self-injury disorder” and cites many reasons that one may have these actions. It could be searching for a relief or to remind themselves that they’re alive by feeling physical pain.
“I struggled with self harm beginning around sixth grade and often had thoughts of suicide. I got very close many times and ended up hospitalized five times for suicidal ideation,” Funk said. “Additionally, I struggled with substance abuse, so throwing drugs and alcohol into the mix was not helpful for me because not only did it throw the effectiveness of medications, but it also gave me more opportunities to act on my suicidal thoughts.”
According to the National Institute of Health, national population surveys have found that about half of people who experience a mental illness will also experience substance abuse during their lives.
“Having access to resources like counseling inside and outside of school was a huge part of making positive change. Not being afraid to tell my support system that I needed to step out of class and go speak to someone was very important for me because I already felt like a burden. Knowing that I had people there for me at school made me feel safer and held me accountable,” Funk said.
It is vital, when in a state such as depression, that those suffering know they have people they can talk to. This is no different for Funk, who found many people within her family and school administration.
Funk advises everyone who needs it to, “ask for help. Sometimes things get worse before they get better! Know that you are not alone, and your wellbeing is more important than anything else.”
Although she eventually found people who were able to help her and ended in a position much safer than her high school experience, Funk did not always have those who were kind to her.
“Lots of students knew about my situation, and many were very unkind about it. I was a victim of bullying for many years throughout middle and high school,” Funk said. She wants many to be reminded that, “words can be so hurtful, but it’s important to remember that often, people hurt you because they are hurting. It doesn’t make it OK, but it helps to have some perspective.”
It is vital to be kind to others, even when one is struggling. And remember that it will get better, and one day people will realize this, just like Funk.
“I had an experience after graduating where I went to Hawaiian night at a home football game, and looking up at the student section, I realized how silly it was for me to worry so much about the opinions of others. Life doesn’t end after high school, and I know it sounds cliche, but all of the little things that seem so big and hurtful will one day be little things again,” Funk said.
Influence of Social Media on Suicide
Though the members of Generation Z are quite young, they have experienced their fair share of significant world events. Having been born between the years of 1995 and 2010, Gen-Z has witnessed the conception of advanced technology, the rise of the smartphone and mounting political and social unrest all within their younger years, having been the first ever generation to grow up in such a landscape.
Another distinctive fact about this generation is that it is unfortunately the most depressed and suicidal generation in history.
According to Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist and author of the book “The Anxious Generation”, “The suicide rate for adolescents began to rise in 2008 with a surge in 2012. From 2010 to 2021, the rate increased 167 percent.
Not only are suicide rates among youth at an all-time high but so are rates of diagnosed depression.
According to the U.S National Survey on Drug and Health use, depression among female teens has increased by 145 percent since 2010, and depression among males increased by 161 percent since 2010.
A sophomore girl at the high school who would like to remain anonymous has struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts for a portion of her life.
“I realized that what I was experiencing was more than just a rough patch when I wasn’t going to school a lot, hanging out with friends and just had this persistent feeling of sadness,” said the anonymous sophomore girl. “I felt helpless, anxious, tearful, irritable and guilty.”
Similar experiences have been felt by countless members of this generation, and many professionals have been trying to find an answer as to why Gen Z has struggled so drastically in terms of their mental health
One of the most significant found perpetuators of teenage suicide can be found in the palm of people’s hands – their phones. Having been introduced in 2007, the iPhone brought a new way to be online. Instead of relying on bulky and hard-to-transport computers to utilize social media, people now had the entire digital world at the touch of a finger, wherever they went, and at all times.
The smartphone’s omnipotence equated to more and more time spent in the digital world until the lives of American teens were almost entirely online-based. A teen’s source of communication, entertainment and connection was fully derived from what they could access on their phones.
“As we engage with others in person, we tend to learn social scripts, and we read their body language and facial expressions to understand how our behaviors are impacting their view of us, and their emotions. When we engage online, we lose this opportunity to learn and connect with others,” former OOHS AP Psychology Teacher Jamie Paoloni said.
While most of Gen Z has been affected by social media in one way or another, females have unfortunately been hit the hardest
On apps like Instagram and TikTok, the like system has perpetuated a degrading experience for young girls where they rely on likes to build their self esteem, feeling as if in order to be valued, affirmed and appreciated, they need a certain number of likes. If this mental goal isn’t met, their self-worth comes crashing down.
“I can trace back a lot of my depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts to social media,” said the anonymous sophomore girl. “I felt completely and utterly worthless.”
These feelings of worthlessness and self-hatred can be furthered even more when adolescent girls see the posts of others.
When insecure girls go online, they are encompassed by perfect-looking pictures of women whom they believe are prettier than them leading to comparison and even further self-loathing.
“Social media creates a false perception of what people’s lives are actually like,” Paoloni said. “People generally post only good things, and using filters makes it seem as if their lives are a lot livelier and happier than they actually are. When others take this as reality and compare their lives to it, it may create a sense of relative deprivation.”
Alternatively, many people like to say that the reason Gen Z has the highest rates of suicide is because they have reasons for long-term stress. Climate change, wars across the world and political turmoil have left youth feeling hopeless for the future and isolated in their anxieties.
But this idea can be traced back to social media, as these world events are being pumped into adolescents’ brains 24/7 through their phones, not as news stories but as posts in which other young people pessimistically air out their grievances. It is not healthy for adolescents with developing brains to be surrounded by negativity and thoughts of a hopeless future.
“Being surrounded by constant negativity can really affect the way we see things. We can develop what is called a negative explanatory style, which can contribute to the onset of depression,” Paoloni said.
People are taught all these things about social media from a young age, and while it may seem cliche to talk about, it doesn’t make it any less true.
This is the first generation of kids to have gone through puberty and adolescence with both smartphones and the internet and subsequently has become the most anxious, depressed and suicidal. It is no coincidence that the iPhone was introduced in 2007, and suicide rates immediately went up at alarming rates in 2008.
“Social media was good in some ways because it was a distraction, but it was also bad because it made me compare myself and my life to others, making me feel worse,” the anonymous sophomore girl said. “Overall though it just made what I was experiencing so much harder.”
Signs of Suicide
According to HealthDay News, a person dies by suicide once every 43 seconds worldwide. About 746,000 deaths occur from suicide worldwide every year. In order to lessen these rates, people need to be watchful and wary of the signs of suicide to help prevent it from happening. Mental health specialists and psychologists, like OSU Mental Health Specialist Sarah Leonard and School Social Worker Dan Murph are experts on this topic.
“Some common signs that someone is having suicidal thoughts are losing interest in things that they had joy in before, spending more time alone, talking about being sad or depressed or saying direct things like ‘not finding any meaning in life’ or ‘not wanting to be around anymore,’” Murph said.
In many instances, people who have suicidal thoughts will slowly disassociate from life and things that make them happy, causing this to be a major warning sign of suicidal thoughts that friends and family need to be able to recognize.
“People can support friends who may be experiencing these feelings by being there for them and letting them know that you care and also noticing these warning signs instead of just thinking they don’t wanna be friends anymore randomly. Part of the A.C.T. method we live by is acknowledge, care and tell. Acknowledging is kind of that recognizing, the caring piece is being there for a friend and telling would be just kind of letting a trusted adult know and overall reassuring the friend that they’re safe. Just sitting with them in their sadness and letting them know someone cares is effective,” Murph said.
Healthy support is validating without trying to problem solve. Instead of seeing their problem and trying to fix it, just understanding and acknowledging the problem is helpful towards the at-risk person.
“At our own school, there are counselors and appointments that you can schedule for helpful resources. A system of tiers is how we determine how serious the diagnosis is, tier 2 is me. I do check-ins, sort of teetering on therapy but not quite and tier 3 is Ms. Leonard who will most likely have regular appointments assessing diagnostically what’s going on,” Murph said.
Different diagnoses call for different levels of tiers. Tier 2 is less serious but still important, and tier 3 is very at-risk and should be treated immediately.
“And outside of school, there is the Delaware County Youth Crisis Line, which you can reach by 211 or by calling helpline. Franklin County has one too through Nationwide Children’s Hospital behavioral program. Another helpful one is the National 988 mental health line and of course, out-patient counseling with the kids seeking help by themselves,” Leonard said.
Mental health specialists should be the initial, ideal adults to actually screen someone for an assessment. In many situations they could be the second person to go after a guardian is told. If a friend or a family member is the one expressing concern, then the mental health specialists should again be the first people to tell in the school who can help efficiently.
“If someone is high risk, for example, has thought about suicide or made plans, I would assess them and put them through a screening. This, versus the passive-risk: for example, if someone is saying phrases like, ‘there’s no point to me living’, ‘I wish I could run away’, acting miserable, wishing it would all end. Saying things instead of actually acting on them is a passive risk. Treatment for this involves doing check-ins instead of taking the more high-risk measures. This is the assessment part, where the severity of the suicidal thoughts land on the spectrum,” Leonard said.
Parents take a huge role in assisting suicidal kids and kids at-risk. Their actions and reactions affect the kid’s confidence, self-esteem, bravery and overall trust in their parents.
“Being active in their kids’ lives, noticing behavior and mood changes and recognizing any unhealthy declines that are concerning like not taking care of one’s body and having poor -hygiene, skipping school and being moodier than usual. Taking the time and effort to check in on kids is imperative especially after your concerns are voiced rather than accepting one word answers from the kid. Appropriately, not invasive of course,” Murph said.
“How the parents respond, whether equal concern or minimizing, can affect whether the kid goes into counseling or not. Parents really do have an important role. Of course, if they’re not willing to get the help for them, it can be disastrous. Or culturally, of course, sometimes mental health can be considered as not necessarily a real thing, which can equally affect everything,” Leonard said.
Worrying about someone but not knowing how to approach them for fear of their reaction or fear of judgement is extremely common and seen in adolescents. Parents might be scared to talk to them, scared of telling an adult in case the kid might get mad at them, just scared in general.
“Showing them that it doesn’t have to all be on their shoulders and that you can give some to adults. Honestly, just the reassurance that they’re not alone. Also, using non-evaluative language as if you’re just making an observation, for example, ‘You haven’t been in 1st period all week I’m worried?’” Leonard said.
Using non-evaluative language can make someone feel safe and help to make it feel less like a doctor-patient situation and more of an observative, helpful friend situation.
“You can tell if a friend is going through a tough time or if it’s something serious by
the duration of their emotions, if the feelings linger rather than a single, upsetting event. For example, a breakup, a big event which causes sadness rather than failing one test. Also, noticing their withdrawal from things, a downhill interest in things they found enjoyable. Their mood and constant state should be what to look for, approach and then tell someone if it gets to that point,” Murph said.
Being aware of people going through a tough situation rather than having more serious, lingering problems takes patience and observation. Often, people don’t know which one the other is going through, and the best thing to do at that point is to just be there for them as much as possible.
If you or a friend is going through something as serious as suicide, know that you have multiple resources and people to go to. Do not be afraid to speak out about how you or someone else may be feeling.
OOHS Support System
Many people struggle with suicidal thoughts, but the high school community can offer support and understanding. The community can provide a safe space for those who are struggling to go.
There’s also an SOS (Signs of Sucide) program, which is widely used for school based suicide prevention. Its goal is to reduce the risk of suicide by teaching students to recognize the signs of depression and suicide in themselves and everyone around them.
“There’s the SOS that we do, and it’s grades 6-12, so raising that awareness rather than just having SOS in seventh grade and then again in ninth grade. Having that refresher in the front of everyone’s mind would be helpful too,” Murph said.
The SOS program shows the importance of making mental health services more accessible to students. It also addresses the stigma and shame that some students feel about seeking help, fearing judgment from teachers and others who they are close to.
“Making us more available goes a long way. There’s still kids who come into my office who still have a concern, sort of what they consider a negative connotation, or the shame of struggling. They don’t want me to let any teacher know that they were down in my office, and they don’t want their name on a pass to come see me,” Leonard said.
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Being very accessible is beneficial, but some people still experience fear and shame about struggling. The shame can prevent them from seeking the help they need.
“So we are very accessible and that helps a lot but there is still sometimes a fear and some level of shame about struggling that some people feel,” Leonard said.
The Ohio House Bill 123 mandates that students in grades 6-12 receive at least one hour of suicide awareness and prevention education each year. They will use the Sandy Hook Promise program for sixth graders and the SOS program for seventh and ninth graders, which includes a two-day session and screener.
“The OH House Bill 123 has many benefits too. It has made school safety better and promotes student well-being. It mainly focuses on schools in grades 6-12 providing instruction in suicide awareness, violence prevention and social inclusion.” Murph said.
“Increasingly better than years ago just by all the things we just mentioned. There’s actual Delaware County, Franklin County, school wide education is very much being brought into everyone’s consciousness lately,” Leonard said.
People’s comfort levels with sharing personal information vary widely. Some are open and talk about it freely, while others are more private and worried about people knowing. Also, many people are afraid to share with coworkers because they worry that they are afraid of being judged, or worse, that they could lose their job according to McLean Hospital.
“It varies. I mean some people are really comfortable and will share anything. We’ve been talking among other people and some people talk about it in the classroom or everywhere. Some people are very closed off about it and afraid that other people will find out. There is not really one thing; it’s a range from different people,” Murph said.
There are efforts to raise awareness about mental health through newsletters, and more parent-focused events would be beneficial. Despite low attendance because some parents don’t see it as relevant, it’s valuable knowledge for everyone to spot potential red flags in any child.
“We’re doing it kind of, just with awareness and things in newsletters and stuff like that. If we had more parent mental health events that would be more helpful. We kind of did one last year, and it got into One Community Conference. But I feel like that’s also something that’s not attended by parents because it’s an unforgettable topic or they think it’s not my kid. But it’s good knowledge to have just in general, even if it’s not your kid. If someone who your kids are hanging out with struggles, you can notice these things that are red flags,” Murph said.
It’s really important to educate parents and individuals who work closely with children. By raising awareness among these groups, they can better identify and address any changes in the kids they regularly interact with.
“So we could do more with parents’ education and other people who work with kids, bus drivers, lunch staff, coaches, theater and band. Just all those places where there’s big groups of kids which they see regularly where they would notice if there’s something different going on with somebody. Just raising more awareness through that mainly the parents piece is important,” Murph said.
The community has a huge impact on people who struggle with suicidal thoughts and can help them if they notice changes in their behavior. By working together, the community can create a safer environment for those who need help.
