Let’s take a minute to pause and talk about the significance of September: National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Amongst teenagers, suicide is one of the leading causes of death, yet; mental health remains a taboo topic surrounded by stigma.

“I think suicide prevention is often neglected in society,” said Ryan Lin ‘25. “People fail to realize that thousands of people die from suicide annually, so I believe that suicide prevention month is a very positive thing. It can spread awareness and reduce the possibility of future suicides.”

“I would say it’s important to take care of your mental health and get the help you need,” said Shrinidhi Ramachandran ‘23.

In a negative cycle, lonely students may further isolate themselves when they perceive such a stigma and a lack of support for their condition. 

Edison High has taken steps to add some resources for students. One such example is the P.A.T.H program (Promoting Acceptance, Trust, and Hope,) a collaboration between the Edison School District and Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care. It supplies schools with professional counselors that can help students who are struggling with such issues regarding their mental health.  

“Mental health is important to me,” said Sia Shah ‘24. “It can be difficult to balance my mental health and school work simultaneously. It is funny because both are intertwined with each other. Such as if one is healthy then so is the other.“

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, an estimated 49.5% of adolescents have had a mental health disorder at some point in their lives. Studies have shown that 20% of teens experience depression before reaching adulthood, but only 30% of those actually receive treatment for it. 

EHS also offers the Mindfulness and Calming Center (MACC), which became available at the end of last year. It was originally made by former EHS student Emma Mohanty ‘22 and designed for the main purpose of becoming a safe place for students to help escape from stress and pressure from what school life may bring. The MACC is located in Room 102, also known as College Center 1. 

Even though EHS has started addressing awareness of mental health issues, some students believe that more can be done.  

“I wish the school had spread awareness, ” said Niyati Nayi ‘25, “like having more assemblies.” 

According to Abi Adif ‘25, “The state of Oregon already has a system in place which allows students to take ‘mental health” days off to help alleviate stress. I feel like not only our school, but our state should take the opportunity to learn from this experiment.”

“If there could be a good opportunity for students to relieve themselves on really long days,” Adif said. “I mean, who really doesn’t want to have a day off to escape from all the work and assignments we get?”

Students who feel that they are in distress should immediately report to the Counseling Office, or dial 988 for the National Suicide and Crisis Hotline. This number is also printed on the back of all new student and faculty IDs.