The Kentucky Department of Education recently met with student representatives from schools across the Commonwealth to talk about mental health support services.
Blake Konny, a Safe and Supportive Schools consultant with the Kentucky Department of Education, said suicidal ideation is more common among adolescents than many realize.
“Kentucky surveys, so the CDC does the youth risk behavior survey every two years typically, the most recent data we have is from 2023 and 18-percent of highschoolers say they have recently considered suicide in the last 12 months,” said Konny.
Konny noted that the rate of attempted suicides and suicides is lower, crediting prevention, intervention, and postvention care for that progress.
Students said schools offer many services to support mental health, including community groups, mental health counselors, signage for the suicide hotline, and even sensory rooms. However, these services vary widely across the Commonwealth. The state standard recommends one mental health professional for every 250 students, but some schools have ratios as high as 1 to 1,000.
Konny said students can often reach their peers more effectively than formal resources.
“We want to figure out ways to harness the power, and the influence and sway of your peers to support each other, that’s one of the goals I have in my current role, and we do that by what I call a positive contagion,” said Konny.
Anyone struggling with depression, suicide, or other mental health concerns is encouraged to contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
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