Teen Suicide 2023 - School Talks
SADAG Support Programme for Schools and Teachers
According to the World Health Organisation (2020), 1 in 7 children aged between 10 – 19 years old, experiences a mental disorder. This accounts for 13% of the global burden of disease in this age group. Research has also shown that depression, anxiety and behavioural disorders are among the leading causes of mental illness among adolescents.
Furthermore, suicide has increased exponentially and is now the 4th leading cause of death among the 15 – 19-year olds. Furthermore, the WHO (2020) maintains that adolescents with mental health conditions are particularly vulnerable to social exclusion, discrimination, stigma, educational difficulties, risk-taking behaviours, physical ill-health and human rights violations.
In South Africa, research supports the evidence that there is a high prevalence of depression and anxiety among high school learners. However, the resources that are available are either sparse or difficult to access.
SADAG’s Schools Outreach Programme provides talks to learners (class-by-class), workshops for parents and teachers, and materials on various mental health issues to provide resources and practical tips and tools.
School Talks to Learners
This is always done class by class, grade by grade, to ensure interaction and an atmosphere that is more conducive to the sensitivity of the topics at hand. The learners are given the opportunity to share problems and ask questions in a secure and confidential environment.
The talks focus on educating the learners about the impact of the psychosocial problems they face, inform them about the assistance that is available and how they can access help for themselves or a loved one. The main message that we impart is that they must “speak up, reach out and have hope – there is help available”. SADAG has done many talks on Teen Depression, Suicide Prevention, Trauma, Grief and Loss, Anxiety and Stress, Exam Stress, Bullying, and Substance Abuse.
Teachers and Parents Talks
These talks provide key health information on signs and symptoms, how to get help and the prevention of Teen Suicide. SADAG provides practical tools, tips and resources for Teachers to empower them on what to say or do to help a student at-risk, and through SADAG’s talks for Parents, we focus on sharing resources, tips on how to talk about mental health, and what to do to get help for their child.
Teachers “Connect Sessions”
We know that Teachers themselves juggle so many different roles and often are dealing with Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and Burnout themselves, especially the last 2 years while navigating throughCOVID-19. SADAG hosts Connect Sessions for teachers where they can speak about common experiences in a safe space, share concerns and provide emotional and moral support for one another. These Debriefing Connect Sessions can encourage a sense of community and a source of empathetic understanding in a non-judgemental environment.
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If you would like to make use of any of the above for your School, please contact Lyn at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..