How Can Students Help Support Mental Health at School

Help a Friend 

According to National Alliance on Mental Illness, one of the most important ways to be a good friend is to help your friends when you notice something is wrong. This includes helping them get the support they need and deserve if they are experiencing a mental health condition. This might seem like a big task, but it doesn’t have to be. 

How Will I Know If Something is Wrong? 

Sometimes things don’t go our way or bad and unexpected things happen. It’s normal to get upset or sad at times, but if you feel that your friend isn’t responding normally it might mean that there’s something more serious going on. Here are some signs to look from your friend. 

  • Withdrawing from social activities or appearing down for more than two weeks. This could mean crying regularly, feeling tired all the time or not wanting to hang out anymore.
  • Self-harming actions such as cutting or burning. Some people may begin to wear long sleeves or pants to cover up signs that they are doing this.
  • Threatening to kill his- or herself or making plans to do so. Although you may not know whether your friend is serious or not, it’s better to be safe and take things seriously.
  • Extreme out-of-control, risk-taking behaviors. Behaviors that can endanger his- or her own life as well as others, such as speeding excessively and not obeying traffic laws, might be a sign that something is wrong.
  • Sudden overwhelming fear for no reason. Includes intense worries or fears that get in the way of daily activities.
  • Not eating, throwing up or using laxatives to lose weight. Pay attention if your friend isn’t eating much at lunch or going to the bathroom right after meals.
  • Severe mood swings. Life is stressful, but if there seem to be outbursts that go beyond how other people would often act, it might mean something more serious.
  • Repeated use of drugs or alcohol. Coming to class hung over, showing up to sporting events intoxicated or wanting to bring drugs or alcohol into daily activities is not normal.
  • Drastic changes in behavior, personality or sleeping habits. Your friend might be sleeping much more or much less or get agitated more frequently.
  • Extreme difficulty in concentrating or staying still. 

What Can I Do? 

Share your concerns and observations with your friend. Focus on being nonjudgmental, compassionate and understanding. Don’t interrupt, and don’t give advice. Express concern and tell your friend that together you will find help. Use these “I” (instead of “you”) comments to get the conversation started. 

  • I’ve noticed you’re [sleeping more, eating less, etc.]. Is everything okay? 
  • I’ve noticed that you haven’t been acting like yourself lately. Is something going on? 
  • It makes me afraid to hear you talking like this. Let’s talk to someone about it. 
  • Go ahead and ask. Your friend may hint or joke about suicide, but it is important to take all communications about suicide seriously. It is safe to ask directly “Are you thinking about killing yourself?” Talking about suicide does not cause suicide. If you have difficulty asking your peer his or her thoughts, enlist an adult to help you. Or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) and the trained counselors there will help you.

Don’t keep secrets. Rather than promising your friend to keep their thoughts of suicide a secret, tell him or her you can help, but you need to involve other people. True friends will remain your friend, even if he or she does not initially agree with your approach or help-seeking. Your efforts to help another will not be overlooked. Keeping secrets about suicide can have devastating consequences that could affect you for a long time. 

Reach Out to Someone You Trust. If a friend is in need, you don’t need to go at it alone. Involve others who can provide added support. Try to find someone who might be understanding of your friend’s situation or be able to help. Your friend may feel cornered if you start involving others, so make sure to talk to your friend first. However, if it’s an emergency, you should call 911 and get an authority figure involved. Don’t leave a suicidal friend alone. Go with him or her to a mental health professional, hospital emergency room, or his or her doctor.
Here are some people you may consider reaching out to: 

  • Friends and family 
  • School teachers or counselors 
  • Faith-based leaders 
  • Coaches 

Ways to Get Immediate Help in a Crisis 

Move out of harm’s way. If there are firearms, drugs, or other means of suicide in his or her house, ask an adult to remove them until the crisis has passed. Make anything inaccessible that might be used by your friend in an impulsive moment. 

Offer Support. Keep in mind that your friend might not be ready to talk about what they’re going through or simply may not want your help right now. You cannot force someone to get help, so just do your best to be there with your friend through their journey and be ready if and when they do finally reach out. It may be helpful to offer specific things that might help, such as: 

  • How can I best support you right now? Is there something I can do or can we involve others who can help? 
  • Can I help you find mental health services and supports? Can I help you make an appointment? 
  • Can I help you with the stuff you need to get done until you’re feeling better? 
  • Would you like me to go with you to a support group or a meeting? Do you need a ride to any of your appointments? 

You can play an important role in helping a friend build a positive, social support network. Here are ways to do that: 

  • Check-in regularly. Call or text your friend once or twice a week. Check in with them after their therapy appointments to see how things went. Let them know that you are there.
  • Include your friend in your plans. Even if your friend doesn’t always come, they will probably appreciate being included.
  • Learn more about mental health conditions. Find out more about what your friend is going through so you are better able to help in future situations.
  • Avoid using judgmental or dismissive language, such as “you’ll get over it,” “toughen up,” “snap out of it.” Your friend needs to hear that they are not alone and that they can get through this. Reassure them that everything will be okay and that you are there for them. 

Being a friend means being there in easy times and more difficult times. If your friend is experiencing a mental health condition, this is a time when he or she needs you the most. Sometimes just talking about it might help your friend feel less alone and more understood. You can be the difference in helping a friend who needs support but is too afraid to seek help. Just a simple conversation can go a long way in helping your friend. You can make a huge difference in someone’s life. 

Take care of yourself. 

Helping a suicidal friend is stressful. Make sure you get support. Talk to a friend or family member and get good food, rest, exercise and whatever else you need. 

On June 26, 2014, Act 71 was signed into law in Pennsylvania. This law, which added section 1526 of the School Code, 24 PS § 15-1526, specifically requires school entities to: (1) adopt a youth suicide awareness and prevention policy; and (2) provide ongoing professional development in youth suicide awareness and prevention for professional educators in building serving students in grades 6-12. Additionally, section 1526 specifically permits school entities to incorporate curriculum on this topic into their instructional programs pursuant to their youth suicide awareness and prevention polices. 

NOTE: This webpage contains resources, including links to websites, created by a variety of outside organizations. The resources are provided for the user’s convenience, and inclusion does not constitute an endorsement by the Pennsylvania Department of Education of any views, products or services offered or expressed in them. 

Student Led Programs 

  • A Day Without Hate: This movement started in Colorado after the VA tech mass shooting in 2007. The idea is to create a “day without hate” by setting aside the last Friday of every April to celebrate community, inspire each other, to not hate on each other, and to wear white in comradery and remembrance. 
  • Aevidum Club: Aevidum is a club that schools can start that has the motto of “I’ve got your back”. This was started in Lancaster County, Pa. after a classmate committed suicide. Provides programming for k-12 and in college. 
  • More Than Sad Program: The More Than Sad Program of the American Foundation for Suicide prevention provides education about factors that put youth at risk for suicide, in particular depression and other mental disorders. The program includes two sets of materials one for teens and one for teachers and school personnel. Instructional materials to accompany More Than Sad Program, include a power point presentation. 
  • National Center for the Prevention of Youth Suicide: View four programs that schools and communities can implement to address the issue of suicide among young people, by inviting youth to take the lead. 
  • U OK?: U OK? is a fundraising and awareness model for youth across the country to raise awareness about and help prevent teen suicide. U OK?, a program of the National Center for the Prevention of Youth Suicide (NCPYS), raises awareness of the problem of teen suicide, mobilizes high school students to become part of the solution and raises money for these activities. 
  • Youth Mental Health First Aid: Designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. The course is designed to improve participants’ knowledge and modify their attitudes and perceptions about mental health and related issues, including how to respond to individuals who are experiencing one or more acute mental health crises or are in the early stages of one or more chronic mental health problems.