CHICAGO (AP) — Concerns about suicides among teens nationwide and youth mental health issues have prompted officials at a school district in a northwestern suburb of Chicago to start discussing the topic in class.
The Daily Herald reports that Crystal Lake Elementary District 47 launched a suicide prevention and depression awareness program this month called Signs of Suicide for its seventh- and eighth-grade students.
Assistant director of special education Kristin Schmidt says the program’s participants watch a video, participate in group discussions and answer questions to determine whether they are at risk of depression or have suicidal tendencies.
The district has exceeded the number of crisis assessments it had conducted by this time last year. Officials say the district is seeing a gradual annual increase in students struggling with emotional issues.
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