The Samaritan Connection - 15

TeenHope Screenings Reveal Increase
in Students At Risk for Anxiety,
Depression and Suicidal Thoughts
Every year, the TeenHope team at Samaritan provides mental and emotional
health education and wellness screenings to middle and high school students.
TeenHope also provides community resources that promote emotional well-being
and aims to prevent teen suicide by identifying students who may be at-risk for
anxiety and depression. The program's goal is to identify at-risk students who are
fl ying under the radar before a crisis situation occurs.
During the 2021-2022 school year, TeenHope screened more than 2,200 middle
and high school students in Lancaster and Lebanon counties. Research conducted
during that time revealed that the number of teenagers at risk for anxiety,
depression and suicidal thoughts in Lancaster and Lebanon counties increased to
25.5%! That is more 1 in 4 students!
Sadly, less than half of the teens who need mental health care receive
treatment. Mental health care is frequently diffi cult to access and initially
identifying a mental health need can be challenging. School counselors in a focus
group told us that they know the students that are visibly acting out, but they
worry about the students whose struggles are diffi cult to discern.
According to the 2021 Pennsylvania Youth Survey, 38.5% of teens in Lancaster
County say they have felt depressed or sad most days over the past year. That
is up from 36.6% in 2019. Even more heartbreaking is the fact that 17.8% of
teens considered suicide and over 10% attempted suicide. That means that in a
classroom of 30 students, 3 have attempted suicide. The best thing we can do for
our future is to be more proactive in serving children and teens.
TeenHope partners with local school districts to provide the screenings to
middle and high school students. This screening assesses the student's last two
weeks. The screening tools, the PHQ-9 and GAD-7, can be reviewed on our
website at scclanc.org/teenhope. No matter the outcome of the screening, every
student meets with a TeenHope case manager to discuss the screening and to
answer any questions. Students also receive a resource guide which can inform
and connect the student, or people in the students' lives with local services.
While the current situation for students is sobering, there is hope! Many
studies have shown the effectiveness of early intervention in mental health and
role it plays in recovery. The National Alliance on Mental Illness has found that
individuals who went through programs were more responsive to treatment and
more likely to achieve social, educational and career success.
For more information about the TeenHope program, contact Valerie Minnich,
Director of TeenHope, at vminnich@scclanc.org or at 717-560-9969, extension 268.
How can you help?
TeenHope is largely funded by
individual and foundation donors.
Because of donors' support, schools
pay only $25 per student for the
screening program. Every gift has a
positive impact on a child's life.
$25 Screening for one
student
$100 One funded counseling
session for a student
without insurance
$250 Mental health education
session for 100 students
$5,000 Education, screening
and resources for 200
students
Thank you for
offering hope and
strength to our
local students.
If you are feeling depressed,
anxious or having thoughts
of suicide or are concerned
about a family member or
friend, call 1-800-273-TALK
to speak in confi dence with
someone who can understand
and help. Or you can call the
crisis line at 988.
The Samaritan Connection * 15
http://www.scclanc.org/teenhope
The Samaritan Connection

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