Regardless of what a student’s path may be following high school graduation, there are bound to be feelings of sadness and loss. Whether they are joining the military, trying to find employment, or attending college, this is a significant time of transition and one that often involves separating from parents and close friends. Students who have a history of psychological difficulties, trauma, or loss may have an especially difficult time dealing with the anxiety and stress of this life transition. In fact, approximately 20 percent of youth will have one or more episodes of major depression by the time they become adults.

For many schools, senior year is a time spent focusing on getting students to meet class requirements and ultimately, getting students to graduate. U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, stated: “High schools must shift from being last stop destinations for students on their education journey to being launching pads for further growth and lifelong learning for all students. The mission of high schools can no longer be to simply get students to graduate [but] must also be to ready students for careers and college.” As Duncan notes, there is a critical shift in purpose that must be addressed—one that extends far beyond receiving a diploma and well into a student’s transition to adulthood.

While it’s important to discuss goals, plans, and dreams for students as part of the lifelong learning process, it’s imperative that part of this conversation also addresses mental health needs. Although there are many ways to facilitate this conversation, the goal is to ensure that students have the appropriate knowledge and skills needed to seek help without the trusted adults that they have grown to depend on for the past four years.

Screening for Mental Health is excited to introduce an updated program for high school upperclassmen. Formerly the SOS Booster Program, the newly renamed SOS Second ACT: Preparing for Life Beyond High School is designed to reach out and build resiliency in young adults. In addition to reviewing the signs and symptoms of depression and suicidality, students are prompted to discuss substance abuse and other risky behaviors. Additionally, they are provided with self-care tips on seeking treatment in the “real world” and acquiring health insurance. As young adults, they graduate the “T” in the ACT® message from “Tell” to “Treatment: seek treatment for yourself or a friend.”

Julie Gagnon, a high school counselor in Ashburnham, Massachusetts, recently spoke about the usefulness of adding the Second ACT Program to curriculum for upperclassmen who went through the SOS Program earlier in their academic career:

“This program helps upperclassmen see that when they go off from here, they will need to seek a professional. The expectation is that you will find a professional you can talk to, that there are people to help you in all of these experiences, no matter where you are going. It’s important that students are hearing this information as they launch their experience out of high school.”

Caring for one’s own mental health is a lifelong process which is why young adults must develop the skills necessary for self-care at an early age. The U.S. Surgeon General reported that fewer than one-third of adults with a diagnosable mental disorder receive any level of treatment. Teaching students how to seek professional help for mental health issues is a great step toward ensuring a higher number of adults are seeking the treatment they need.

http://www.nami.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Inform_Yourself/About_Public_Policy/Policy_Research_Institute/Policymakers_Toolkit/A_Primer_on_Depressive,_Bipolar_and_Anxiety_Illnesses_Facts_for_Policymakers.pdf