Ohio students hope music video sheds light on teen suicide

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WXIX) - Students at Lakota East High School hope their new music video will start a new dialogue about student mental health and suicide.

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More than 20 percent of teenagers have seriously considered suicide this year, according to a report from the American Psychological Association.

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This is one of the reasons the Lakota East Hope Squad was looking for ways to increase awareness about mental health.

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“This is a community issue that we all need to be a part of,” student Owen Luehrman said. “We wanted everyone to be involved and understand this issue’s importance.”

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The Hope Squad is a peer-to-peer counseling group that the district created after Ohio House Bill 123 passed in 2021, which requires school districts to create suicide prevention programs.

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The video is the latest project by the group to reach fellow students.

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“It’s an experience I had and kept going through with a friend who is struggling,” student Emmeline Slusher said. “Being able to learn how to communicate is important to me.”

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One statistic mentioned in the video is the startling rise in high school students who have considered suicide since the COVID-19 pandemic - the number grew from 1 in 10 students before the pandemic to 1-3 three who report having suicidal thoughts on a given day.

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Anyone having suicidal thoughts is urged to call the national suicide hotline at 988. The hotline is free.