Mental health town hall stresses communication

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Parents, caregivers and youth received a wealth of information about mental health Thursday night at a virtual town hall hosted by East Marshall High School’s student philanthropy group, Students Empowering And Leading (SEAL), along with the Foundation Marshall County Community. (CFMC).

Speakers from Please Pass the Love, an organization dedicated to advocating for student mental health, covered basics, suicide prevention, and teen stress, among other topics.

The main focus of the hour-long event was educating parents about their children’s mental health and how to approach discussions about it.

Jessica Christensen, who has a master’s degree in education and is the director of community development and training at Please Pass the Love, began the presentation with information on depression and anxiety in middle and high school students.

“When a student has one or both of these, sometimes it means they’re irritable, they’re feeling angry, they’re hypersensitive,” Christensen said. “Feeling sad, desperate, empty, maybe crying, which I think is what we most connect with depression and anxiety. However, when I was a teacher, I saw the cranky and the crazy, the hypersensitive who just went crazy for no reason. I saw it more often.”

While many of the symptoms listed by Christensen were highly visible, he urged the audience to check with the kids who seem to be ticking all the boxes as well.

“Perfectionism is a risk to mental health. They think they are different and start to isolate themselves and can even become self-destructive and are at higher risk of self-medicating with drugs and alcohol,” she said. “Our brains will do whatever it takes to feel better and a lot of times, especially if you don’t know and don’t have healthy coping skills, you’ll gravitate toward what’s easier.”

Christensen also shared a side-by-side image of the brain scan of a healthy person and a brain scan of a person with depression, noting the physical differences between the two and warning against statements like “It was hard when I was young.”

“If your child has depression or is feeling depressed, their brain will not be able to function in the same way that a neurotypical child’s brain would,” Christensen said. “Some of the things that we are asking them to do may not be possible.”

After discussing some of the symptoms of depression and anxiety, Christensen went on to discuss the warning signs of suicide and ways to prevent it.

Lack of interest, increased impulsiveness, lack of future orientation, or sudden changes in appetite or sleep patterns were just a few of the red flags.

“You know your child better than anyone, so any disposition change — and I’m not saying any disposition change means calling the crisis line for that help right then and there, but it’s an opportunity for you to have a conversation with your child,” Christensen said.

Christensen emphasized that communication must be very clear in these situations, and if self-harm or suicidal thoughts are suspected, it is imperative to ask the child or adolescent directly to get the appropriate help.

Alex Rohn, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Outreach Coordinator for Please Pass the Love, also spoke at the town hall, focusing on teen stress and how parents can help.

“Our teens are under an immense amount of pressure and stress, and even though they don’t have a mortgage, even though they don’t have a high-pressure job, they are under stress and their stress is valid,” Rohn said.

The stress of global problems in recent years, as well as high expectations and stress about their own future are just some of the factors that teenagers face today. While situational stress is a normal part of life, when it goes on for long periods of time, it can become a problem.

“To know if it’s more than stress, we have to look at the duration and intensity,” Rohn said.

To combat these challenges, Rohn encouraged parents to talk to their children. Starting the conversation at the right time and in the right frame of mind is one of the best ways to have a good conversation about mental health.

“It’s so, so important to listen,” Rohn said. “It’s another reason why you need to be in the right headspace, not to react or roll your eyes and that’s very important. That allows our kids to feel empowered and feel like they have some kind of control.”

Above all, regardless of the topic, Christensen and Rohn emphasized the importance of communication between parents and children on the subject of mental health.

“You’re not going to do well. It’s going to be messy, awkward and difficult, but the important thing is that you ask the questions,” Rohn said. “Magic happens in the mess, so if we can learn to be vulnerable and authentic with our children, they are more likely to depend on us.”

To see some of the mental health resources that were shared during the town hall, visit https://www.pleasepassthelove.org/resource.

TR PHOTO BY SUSANNA MEYER –
Jessica Christensen, director of community development and training for Please Pass the Love, shared the warning signs of mental illness in youth at the virtual town hall meeting Thursday night.

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Please Pass the Love is an organization dedicated to advocating for student mental health.

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