In 2016, then-Duval Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said the district needed to expand student mental health services and advocate for more mental health funding. more depression and suicide-related behaviors compared to their peers across the state.
Today, the rates in Jacksonville are even higher or the same.
The new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found students living in Health Zone 2, encompassing the Greater Arlington area, had the highest rate of suicide attempts. And more female students than male said they鈥檝e made a suicide plan.
The youth risk behavior survey is given to randomly selected students in districts every other year.
In Duval, 1-in-3 high school students reported depression for two or more weeks in a row, a 6 percent increase from 2013 and about a 4 percent increase from two years ago.
SA国际传谋 21 percent of high school students had seriously considered suicide, 19 percent made a plan to commit suicide and 19 percent made a suicide attempt. That鈥檚 more than double the state average 鈥� nearly 8 percent 鈥� of high school students who say they鈥檝e attempted suicide.
There鈥檚 also been an increase in the number of students using Duval鈥檚 crisis hotline: 1,490 calls this school year compared to 1,087 in 2015-16. In both years, nearly half were suicide related.
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And Duval is one of just a handful of Florida districts that give the survey to middle school students, in addition to high school students.
More than a quarter of the district鈥檚 middle school students say they鈥檝e thought about killing themselves, and about 13 percent have said they鈥檝e tried to do so.
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How Duval鈥檚 addressing the issue
The school district has been working to train more employees in a course called Mental Health First Aid.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e taught the signs and symptoms that students may present that may indicate they may have a mental health concern or be struggling with a mental health crisis,鈥� said Katrina Taylor, DCPS director of school behavioral health.
She said over the past three years the district has provided that mental health training to 2,500 employees ranging from teachers to clerical staff. That鈥檚 up from a couple of years ago, when just 900 employees had been trained.
The district also provides students access to mental health professionals. Duval has 87 鈥� 鈥� schools, meaning therapists can be sent in to counsel students who are having trouble.
Taylor said although having full-service schools is better than not having them, there鈥檚 still a gap.
鈥淲hat we found is that of those students that are being referred for full-service school services, only 54 percent of students are receiving the support,鈥� she said.
More students see counselors if they have permanent offices inside schools 鈥� which they do in eight of the district鈥檚 more than 190 schools. In these 鈥渇ull service plus鈥� schools, Taylor said 20 percent more referred students are actually getting the services.
Changes ahead
District staff acknowledged the students鈥� above-average reporting of suicidal thoughts and depression is a problem.
鈥淚t was alarming,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淲e recognize that it鈥檚 a concern, and we鈥檙e putting appropriate measures in place to address those concerns, so it鈥檚 not like we鈥檙e reviewing the data and not doing anything about it.鈥�
One change is the addition of a second 鈥渟ocial-emotional鈥� curriculum, teaching students to handle high-risk situations and what to do if a friend is depressed. Starting in kindergarten, the material is integrated into other subject matter. And middle school students get additional lessons in their health classes.
Duval鈥檚 Director of Health and Physical Education Heather Crowley said, starting next year, a new curriculum with more games will add to those lessons. But she said it鈥檚 up to the teachers to use them.
鈥淲e had a conversation this morning about implementing and monitoring more closely with fidelity with what our teachers are doing to make sure that they just don鈥檛 have the resources in their classroom, [but] making sure there鈥檚 time within their schedule to actually implement these lessons and have these conversations with the students,鈥� Crowley said.
Something else that might help with Duval鈥檚 high rate of suicidal tendencies is the recent passing of a school safety law requiring schools to have stronger safety measure and more following February鈥檚 Parkland shooting. The district is getting $2.6 million for this purpose.
鈥淚t will definitely help,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淩ight now the board and leadership is trying to determine what we鈥檙e going to do, what is that infrastructure going to look like this upcoming year?鈥�
The School Board is considering a few different options, including doubling the number of full-service-plus schools or doubling the number of district social workers.
Staff members say decisions will be made over the summer.
鈥淲e鈥檙e still reviewing this data ... having conversations around, 鈥榃hat can we do to try to increase our students鈥� safety?鈥�, thoughts as it related to suicide and suicide attempts,鈥� Taylor said.
Gay, Bisexual Students Most Likely To Be Suicidal
Lesbian, gay and bisexual students are at the highest risk. In Duval County, close to 1-in-3 LGB students have attempted suicide, compared to one in six heterosexual students. And just over 14 percent of students overall say they鈥檝e been bullied because someone thought they were gay or bisexual.
The survey doesn鈥檛 ask students their gender identity, so the data doesn鈥檛 reflect how transgender students fare compared with their peers.
Coordinator for the district鈥檚 HIV-prevention grant Jamie Wells said the district, in partnership with the LGBTQ youth nonprofit JASMYN, has implemented a number of measures to help that population of students.
Employees are offered special badges signifying they鈥檙e a safe person to talk to. And the nonprofit offers counseling, as well as help with coming out to parents and help with forming gay-straight alliances.
Wells said 16 high schools and one middle school have active GSAs.
鈥淲e are constantly looking at the data,鈥� Wells said. 鈥淲e are constantly changing our approach.鈥�
She said one recent change has been incorporating more student feedback in decision making and having students teach their peers.
Crowley said the district has also started to make health curricula and other materials gender-neutral to be more inclusive.
鈥淚t鈥檚 small changes,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e know from the data for years that [LGB students] feel separated or ostracized.鈥�
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Lindsey Kilbride can be reached at lkilbride@wjct.org, 904-358-6359 or on Twitter at .
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