A High School Counselor's Leadership in Providing School-Wide Screenings for Depression and Enhancing Suicide Awareness

Abstract

The prevalence of mental health issues and suicidal thoughts and actions among school-aged children and adolescents is a serious issue. This article examines the scope of the problem nationwide and provides a brief overview of the literature regarding the effectiveness of school-wide screening programs for depression and suicide risk. The authors describe a suicide prevention program that has been implemented by the first author (a high school counselor in Minnesota) that combines classroom guidance, screening, and referrals for outside mental health services. This article includes recommendations for school counselors interested in implementing a school-wide screening and prevention program.