The prevalence of mental health issues and suicidal thoughts and actions among
school-aged children and adolescents is a serious issue. This article examines
the scope of the problem nationwide and provides a brief overview of the
literature regarding the effectiveness of school-wide screening programs for
depression and suicide risk. The authors describe a suicide prevention program
that has been implemented by the first author (a high school counselor in
Minnesota) that combines classroom guidance, screening, and referrals for
outside mental health services. This article includes recommendations for school
counselors interested in implementing a school-wide screening and prevention
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