Teen suicide prevention is recognized annually during the month of September. The counseling department has organized several programs and events this month to initiate a dialogue about teens and mental health. Speaker, John Trautwein, a former major league baseball player whose son Will committed suicide when he was a freshman in high school, was selected by counselors to speak with parents about warning signs. Trautwein’s relationship with fame emphasizes that suicide can strike any individual or family, regardless of gender, race, income, or social orientation.

Suicide has affected Forsyth County staff and students alike in recent years. According to Counselor Ms. Burnell, there have been three high school suicides since spring in Forsyth County.

“We push our kids to be the best that they can be, and sometimes we don’t always remind them that they are already the best,” said Burnell. “It’s about reminding people that they are worthy of love, that you guys are worth everything that you are doing, that you guys have so much potential, and that we do recognize it and we see it.”

A factor which has been recognized as causing depression and anxiety in adolescents is the increasingly competitive environment of academics in America’s schools. At South, classes are particularly rigorous, especially for students who pursue IB and AP programs. Trautwein discussed the pressure of academics during his seminar with parents Friday morning.

The mission statement on John Trautwein’s website states, “We are dedicated to preventing teen suicide by improving the lives and the ‘will to live’ of teenagers everywhere through education about mental health and encouraging them to recognize the love and hope that exists in each other.”

In addition to Trautwein, a Miss Atlanta graduate of South Forsyth was present on Wednesday during an assembly in Instructional Focus. Taylor Jackson shared her struggle with adolescent depression with students and shared skills for managing anxiety and stress. She reminded staff and students that the phrasing of ‘mental illness’ should be replaced by ‘mental health’ because depression and other conditions are too common to be negatively stereotyped.

There are resources available to combat depression and other mental health problems that afflict a staggering “twenty percent of youths between the ages of 13 and 18” (NAMI). These informational sessions seek to remind students to reach out to parents, teachers, counselors, classmates, and medical professionals if they feel overwhelmed or experience any sudden changes in behavior that warrant concern.