The most recent CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 22% of high school students seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, and 30% of female students seriously considered suicide when sorted by gender. A public broadcaster is trying to fight the stigma and help parents who may be overwhelmed by how to address these serious topics with their children.
On May 10, WBGO Studios is launching Conversations with Sydney in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month. The solutions-oriented podcast aims to explore effective ways to respond to the ongoing crises of teen mental health and suicide. Each episode of the series is structured as a personal conversation between a father, Micah Fink, and his non-binary teenager, Sydney, as they search for real-world solutions by speaking with teens, parents, doctors, and national leaders in the field of teen suicide prevention.
The series addresses signs of suicide, whether parents should talk to their kids about suicide, self-injury, and how can parents help their kids find healthier ways to cope with their feelings. The podcast is available for free on major podcasting platforms, including the NPR app.
Conversations with Sydney will feature experts in the field of teen suicide prevention, such as Dr. Janis Whitlock, director of the Cornell Research Program on Self-Injury and Recovery, Dr. Madelyn Gould, Professor of Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Columbia University, Dr. Laura Erickson-Schroth, Chief Medical Officer at the Jed Foundation, and Tracy Klingener, Director of Suicide Prevention at the Mental Health Association.
“This podcast comes from a deep sense that families, both parents and kids, really need to be talking about mental health and suicide because when these issues arise, most of us don’t have the tools we need to successfully address the situation,” commented host Micah Fink. “I certainly didn’t have any idea what to do when Syd asked if it was normal for teens to be talking about suicide. Teens today are in crisis: 2 out of every 10 high schoolers in the country seriously thought about ending their life last year, so we can’t afford to look away. One of the things we’ve learned is that teen suicide can often be prevented, and our goal with Conversations with Sydney is to help families around the country begin talking about these uncomfortable and challenging topics so they can respond constructively if ever the need arises.”
