New program supports teachers and parents in the fight against depression and suicide among young people
In 2024, 2,054 children and adolescents in Poland attempted suicide, and 127 of them took their own lives. Young people are increasingly struggling with depression and emotional problems, which often go unnoticed. The "Supporting School" program aims to counteract this dramatic situation through education, support and specific actions aimed at schools, teachers and parents.
The statistics are alarming. According to the latest data, in 2024, as many as 2,054 people under the age of 19 attempted to take their own lives. "It is currently estimated that in Poland, 2% of children aged 6-12 suffer from depression, and as much as 20% in the adolescent group," informs Dr. Halszka Witkowska, the creator and coordinator of the Życie Warte Jest Rozmowy website, co-organizer of the Wspierająca Szkoła program.
- Depression and other emotional problems among young people often go unnoticed, which leads to tragic consequences. That is why programs such as Supporting School are necessary to increase awareness of mental health problems in schools, educate teachers, parents and guardians, and provide young people with appropriate support - emphasizes Dr. Witkowska.
The “Supporting School” programme operates on two tracks – it is aimed both at specific schools and at a wider audience.
- We believe that education in recognizing the symptoms of depression, psychological support and effective help is absolutely crucial - says Agnieszka Rejer-Mellin, Coordinator of the Adamed Foundation. That is why we operate in two ways. Firstly, by covering specific schools with a broad program of training and crisis procedures, which after completing it receive the Supporting School certificate, and by organizing open, unlimited, free webinars for both caregivers and employees of educational institutions not covered by the program.
As part of open educational activities, webinars are conducted under the slogan: "Parental first aid: how to recognize an emotional crisis in a child and teenager and how to react?" - addressed to all parents and guardians.
From 2025, the program has been enriched with a new series of online meetings for school employees - " Emotional first aid: how to recognize a suicidal crisis in a student and how to establish a crisis team at school? ".
During the training, participants learn the principles of recognizing mental crises and learn to apply the 4 x Z rule , a simple, supportive scheme of conduct for a child in emotional crisis. Organizational issues are also discussed - how to establish a crisis team in school and how it should operate in situations where the life or mental health of a student is at risk.
It is also planned to expand the programme to include content on addictions among young people , which will respond to the growing problems among children and adolescents.
At the end of 2024, the first full edition of the program was completed, with 26 schools completing it. In total, 30 educational institutions participated in the pilot and the first edition.
Each of them took advantage of four training courses for employees, a webinar for parents, individual consultations with a suicidologist, prepared their own crisis procedure and established a crisis team.
A total of 740 school employees and 1,200 parents and guardians were involved in the activities, taking part in 520 teaching hours .
The program was patronized by the Minister of Education , as well as the Polish Psychiatric Association and the Polish Suicidology Association . A positive opinion and recommendation was expressed by, among others, Prof. Małgorzata Janas-Kozik and Dr. Aleksandra Lewandowska - leading experts in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry in Poland.
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