By Donald Gilpin

Princeton Public Schools (PPS) Superintendent Steve Cochrane has joined nine other Mercer County Schools superintendents in issuing a “Call to Action” to address an alarming trend in teenage mental health concerns.

“During the last 20 months there have been seven confirmed suicides of teenagers who were residents of, or students attending, schools in Mercer County,” the announcement stated. “We write this letter jointly as superintendents representing every public school in Mercer County because we are heartbroken by the senseless loss of our children.”

The December 15 statement continued, “No town is immune from suicide. We have lost students and graduates from almost every town across our county. These deaths have been violent, sudden, and tragic. To all of us, one death is too many. What should further concern us is the alarming number of students who are referred for mental health services, sent to crisis centers, or hospitalized for self-harming acts or ideations.”

As a first step in “raising a county-wide focus on mental health” and creating the opportunity for continued dialogue among mental health providers, educators, and members of the community, the superintendents announced a program on Tuesday, January 9, 7-9 p.m. presented by representatives of the Traumatic Loss Coalition to be held at Rider University.

The 2016 New Jersey Suicide Report published by the Department of Children and Family reported 2,731 youths age 10-24 treated by hospital emergency rooms for suicide attempts or self-inflicted injuries in 2013-15, 1,660 (61 percent) female, 1,071 (39 percent) male.

Mercer, Warren, and Ocean counties had the three highest rates of suicide attempts/self-inflicted injuries seen by emergency rooms.

There were 269 suicide deaths among New Jersey youth ages 10-24 in 2013-15, with 196 (73 percent) male and 73 (27 percent) female.

All the public schools, the superintendents stated, offer counseling services and provide health curricula addressing suicide, depression, anxiety, stress, and mental health. “Our staffs are trained,” the statement read, “but we can always do more. The solution must be holistic, inclusive, and all-encompassing. The concerns are complex and multi-faceted. Each tragedy is unique. We must rise together to acknowledge that we all have a role to play in building resilience, creating connections with kids, and making it safe for kids to ask for help. Partnerships in raising awareness and providing systems of support and care are critical.”

“Wellness and balance” continue to be a top priority, and the first of five strategic goals for PPS. In response to a Stanford University survey conducted last year at Princeton High School, which noted high levels of stress, low levels of joyful engagement with learning, and serious sleep deprivation, Cochrane has urged parents, teachers, and the community to work together “to build a culture where students can have space to breathe, to try new things, to fail, to succeed, and to have a definition of success that revolves around joy and purpose.”

Last April, when the survey results appeared, he noted, “Academic stress and struggles with depression are at an all-time high nationally for both high school and college students. The goal we all share is to increase wellness while deepening learning.”

The superintendents’ statement concluded, “Through our collective effort and willingness to combat the stigma associated with mental health, we can provide a network of care and support for our students.”