2 minute read
Mental Health
from On the Upswing
Struggling? It’s OK to Get Help
Mental Illness is on the Rise in Teens
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By Max Bogdanoff
Recently, Conifer High School has been addressing mental health concerns among students. Because of the pandemic, depression and anxiety have been on the rise, especially among young people. According to the Colorado Health Access Survey, more than a third of Coloradans over 16 reported symptoms of mental illness due to the pandemic. The school has realized this is an issue, and has put up posters and advertised the peer counseling program. Mental health is a complicated topic, and one that carries a lot of stigma in our society. It is also tough for people struggling with depression or anxiety to open up. The high school environment can be negative and have a poor impact on mental health. One resource students have in the school right now is the peer counseling program. Anyone can go to their website to schedule a session talking with a CHS student trained through the school’s Peer Counseling program. Though these peer counselors aren’t licensed psychologists, they are happy to listen if you have any concerns and help to the best of their abilities. “You can talk to us. It’s a safe place. You can come in, feel better about yourself, and you might get some help,” junior Peer Counselor Blake Wickham said. Though the school is limited in what it can do to help, there are resources outside of the school, provided by the government, that students and other teens can access. Recently the state launched the ‘I Matter’ program, which entitles Colorado residents 18 or younger to six free therapy sessions. Anyone that is eligible can go to the website and get the help they need (see QR code). However, the campaign might not be spreading awareness effectively. “I don’t think the people that need to be reading the posters advertising the I Matter program are reading them,” sophomore Asher Phillips said.
Despite this, getting help isn’t as difficult as people might think, and it’s more important than ever. You don’t even need to sign up for a therapy session, you can just reach out and talk. The school’s staff is here to help, not just with academics, but with other problems you might be having in your life.
“If you need to talk to me, you can tell me, I’d respect it and just tell you my opinion and what I think… If I see [anyone struggling with mental health], I’m definitely going to try to engage with that person, and try to help,” Security Guard Ernest Martinez said.
Erin Gacnik and Ella Hubbard from the Peer Counseling program design mental health awareness posters. Corey Neumeier, CHSToday
