Schools add counseling hours in effort to curb teen suicide trend

By Staff Writer

Recent teen suicides have prompted schools across the U.S. to confront the alarming trend and address depression among adolescents.

The Dexter Leader reports that a school district in Michigan has made counselors more available to students because of concerns of "copycat behavior." Officials are afraid that the widespread attention that surrounds suicide deaths may glamorize the act for some troubled teens.

A professor of child psychopathology at the University of Michigan said that schools should enhance their counseling efforts because depression is a complex disease that has several different triggers, the news provider reports. Depression is a disorder that is caused by abnormalities in the levels of neurochemicals in an individual's brain.

Some factors that can contribute to depressive behavior are family history of the disease, a recent trauma or loss as well as high levels of stress. Experts at the college said that children should not be embarrassed by their behavioral disorders, and it should be treated like any other disease. Schools should utilize community resources and mobilize a crisis team of counselors for troubled teens, officials say.

According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, a nationwide survey of high school students found that 15 percent reported seriously considering suicide, while 11 percent reported creating a plan for suicide.