By ANNELI FOGT
Editor
Two nationally-recognized suicide prevention experts will be on Vashon Wednesday, Dec. 2, to talk to parents and the community at large about teens and how to distinguish normal behavior from something more serious, such as depression.
The 7 p.m. presentation, When It’s More Than Sad, will take place at McMurray Middle School and will feature the University of Washington’s Sue Eastgard and Kevin Haggerty. Both work in the university’s School of Social Work and have more than 25 years of experience with suicide prevention programs.
According to VARSA’s event description, the duo’s talk was organized to help both parents and the community understand and recognize the emotional issues teens face, their sometimes destructive coping mechanisms and ways to support teens through tumultuous years.
The presentation will include a community discussion panel with Vashon Island School District Superintendent Michael Soltman, Vashon High School Principal Danny Rock, Vashon Youth & Family Services’ Heather Youngs and Woody Pollock from Youth Mental Health First Aid.
VARSA Co-Chair Lisa MacLeod said that the organization surveyed parents at the end of the 2015 school year and asked them what kind of support they needed before taking the top five concerns from parents and turning them into a series of talks. The Dec. 2 talk is the first of five.
“(The survey) was a very useful exercise, and the results allow both VARSA and the schools to allocate valuable resources where they are needed most,” MacLeod said. “One of the largest concerns was how to help their children cope with anxiety, stress and depression. In high school, suicide prevention was the top concern. In middle school, it was second, and in elementary school, it was third or fourth. It’s a hot topic on the island.”
Not long ago, the island saw a small spike in suicides including from the fall of 2012 to the summer of 2013. The increase corresponded with a countywide spike that led both county and island leaders to reevaluate suicide prevention programs, especially for young adults.
MacLeod said the issue really hits home for her, as she has dealt with a suicide attempt by her own teen. She said that it is important that the community knows how to recognize the signs of depression.
“We knew something was wrong (with my son),” MacLeod said. “It’s the length of time of a behavior. Every teen will be moody occassionally, but if they’re moody for a long time, beyond just having a hard day, that’s the red flag.”
She said that everyone is urged to go, not just parents, because anyone has the ability to catch these behaviors.
“Once we learn to recognize this, then it could be a dance teacher, a coach, a school teacher, anyone will be able to help. Sometimes (teens) put a brave face on one place, but somewhere else, it becomes apparent that there’s more there,” MacLeod said.
The series of talks will continue through the new year with a screening of the movie “The Mask You Live In,” followed by a discussion at 7 p.m. on Jan. 13 at the VHS theater. The movie explores American masculinity and the struggle teenage boys face trying to fit into the definition.
At 7 p.m. on Jan. 22 at the VHS Commons, Pediatric Nurse and educator Julie Metzger will talk about friendships, relationships and sex in a talk entitled, “Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll…and other things that go bump in the night.”
Two other talks addressing teen substance use and digital safety are planned for February and March 2016.
