The Kentucky Department of Education recently met with student representatives from schools throughout the Commonwealth to discuss 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 one would think.
“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 said the rate of attempted suicide and suicides is lower. He said it’s thanks to prevention, intervention, and postvention care.
Students reported there are many services provided by schools to support the mental health of students. This includes community groups, mental health counselors, signage for the suicide hotline and even sensory rooms. However, these services are not consistent across the Commonwealth. The state standard for mental health professionals is 1 professional per 250 students, but, in some schools, the ratio is as low as 1 to 1,000 students.
Konny said students have a unique ability to reach their peers better than these 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 issues is encouraged to contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.