According to the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 10 and 24. Transitioning into adulthood is often associated with emotional turmoil, stress and depression. Many high schools are tasked with providing emotional and mental health support to students but might lack a comprehensive framework for addressing students’ needs. Fluent was retained to conduct a program of research to inform the development of such a framework.
Mental Health of High School Students
About This Project
Fluent was retained by the Jed Foundation, the nation’s leading institution dedicated to prevention of suicide and promotion of mental health of teens and young people, to investigate the needs of high schools in a mental health promotion program.
Fluent conducted a program of qualitative and quantitative research evaluating the needs of high schools across the nation in adopting a mental health promotion and suicide prevention framework. Fluent has conducted a multi-phase study with district superintendents, high school administrations, parents and high school students.
The results of the study point to a pressing need of high schools in the U.S. to address the rising rates of suicide and suicide ideation among our nations’ youth. High school administrators reported a glaring lack of preparedness for addressing the socio-emotional and mental health needs of their students, and scarcity of resources on how to address the looming mental health crisis. The results of the study are being used for the development of a comprehensive mental health model for high schools.