Staff Editorial
The Mira Costa administration implemented the Signs of Suicide program on Jan. 31 in accordance with California State Law AB2246, requiring the governing board or body of local educational agencies serving pupils in grades seven to twelve to adopt a policy on pupil suicide prevention before the start of the 2017-18 school year. S.O.S. started a necessary discussion on Costa’s campus concerning mental health, however it treated suicide prevention much too lightly and lacked the necessary attention needed to be an effective mental health initiative.
All Costa teachers showed a required video to their homeroom classes on Jan. 31 entitled “SOS: Signs of Suicide,” which lasted approximately 25 minutes. Following the video, students were required to take two surveys: one that was anonymous and one that was not.
The SOS video consisted of both hypothetical scenarios and true stories of people who had dealt or currently deal with mental illnesses and/or substance abuse problems. According to a La Vista survey of 200 students, 82% of respondents felt that students did not take the video presentation seriously. The video’s outdated content did not seem to relate to students’ lives and therefore, was not useful in spreading suicide awareness for students at Costa. Though it was a decent first step in bettering the discussion among students, the school should ultimately choose material that is more relatable.
Students filled out two surveys regarding the topic at hand, one of which placed students on a spectrum from not depressed to depressed to needing help, based on how many “yes” responses they gave. According to our survey, only 24% of students felt that the S.O.S. survey was a beneficial way to raise awareness for mental health, and ultimately was not effective in assisting students as it produced an inaccurate representation.
To further improve the school’s appoach to suicide awareness, Costa should hold workshops, programs and serious conversations on mental health. The La Vista survey also found that 76% believe Costa needs to further implement mental health awareness efforts. Ultimately, Costa should work to reach a point where suicide and mental health as a whole are not stigmatized, but are accepted.
Rather than using outdated videos, the school should have used methods that are more approachable to Costa students and have a discussion between students, teachers, parents and counselors in an environment in which students feel comfortable sharing any suicidal thoughts that they may be experiencing. Furthermore, Costa should distribute a survey specifically regarding Costa’s suicide prevention programs so Costa can learn how to better its initiatives overall. Costa should work with students to create a more comfortable environment in which mental health issues are openly addressed.
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