Groups work to address depression and suicide in children and teens

BOWLING GREEN Ky.- There are many who try to reach out to struggling children and teens on the topics of depression, self-harm and suicide. One of the groups studying depression and suicide in young people is the Save Our Kids Coalition.

Program coordinator Amy Stillwell explained how the coalition took steps to help prevent suicide.

“In 2016, the Save Our Kids coalition added a Kutcher scale, which is a six-question assessment that will give us a baseline of where kids are in their mental status today,” Stillwell said.

The Kutcher Adolescent Depression scale includes questions such as if the child is having feelings of worthlessness or loss of interest in hobbies. Prior to 2016, the Save Our Kids coalition did not include it in their annual survey of middle and high school students in Warren County and Bowling Green city schools, Stillwell said.

LifeSkills child and family center manager Katie Hopper said there are warning signs.

“Typically, they’re feeling very disconnected from those around them. We might see signs of depressed mood, significant changes in their appetite and sleep, maybe having more trouble at school focusing and being able to complete their work,” Hopper said.

When these signs are reoccurring, it’s time to speak out. LifeSkills prevention center director Joy Graham emphasizes the importance of talking about the issue, and that it’s an important step to lowering these numbers.

“If they say that they’re contemplating or thinking about suicide or if they have some anxiety, ask them the question. People think that if you say the world suicide, you’re going to push them over the edge and they are going to complete it. That’s very much not the case. If you say the word or talk about it, they’re much more likely to open up and say, ‘I’m glad somebody said that, I need to talk about it,’” Graham said.