Teen Suicide Discussion Turns into Talk about Depression in All Children

Описание: After a rash of teen suicides in the Permian Basin the community came together to talk about the problem and how to go forward Thursday night.

An audience of more than four-dozen filled the seats inside University of Texas of the Permian Basin's CEED building, the crowd mostly made up of concerned adults like Kris Murphy.

"I think we should have had this a long time ago," Murphy said.

We were surprised to learn that as an elementary school teacher Murphy was there to learn.

"Every year I deal with kids that are suicidal or threatening suicide."

MISD Superintendent Dr. Ryder Warren echoed her concerns expressing to the crowd how important school educators and staff are; on the front lines to help our students when they need it the most.

"We've got to have specific information in the hands of teachers, there's no one in the community that sees these kids more than our teachers," Warren said.

The biggest issue was how did it come to this?

The easiest answer: a difference in generation.

With technology changing the face of communication no longer do you hear the emotion in a cry for help over the phone, you have to read through the lines of a text, email, or status update.

"So much of it is done electronically, which is a shift in the paradigm that is a challenge," said John Sikes, the Director of Children's Services for Behavioral Centers of America, the organization that hosted the public forum.

"Kids don't always have the vocabulary to express how they're feeling and we see it a lot in their actions," Murphy said.

It took three teen suicides in just six weeks for this community forum to happen, a price too high to pay for the lines of communication to open up but now that they are these adults say they're ready to talk.

"I think it needs to be addressed every year, parents, teachers, students everybody," said Murphy.

BAC announced tonight that they are in the process of creating a suicide coalition that will be up and running in January.

The coalition will be made up of professionals, parents and kids.