Over the past five years, Manhattan High has faced an increased amount of suicides. Even though the school feels in some way obligated to add extra resources and ensure that students get the help they need, the resources already provided by the school can have an effect on the students struggling with a mental illness.

It is the agreement of The Mentor editorial board that MHS does give students reliable resources when it comes to preventative measures for mental health and that we encourage school staff to announce those resources more frequently so that students are more aware of these outlets.

When someone isn’t feeling their best, it can be difficult to make the decision to get help. Not only do some feel not motivated or uncomfortable, but also weak when it comes to talking about the issue going on. That’s why it is essential for Manhattan High to be open about these resources and more willing to have a conversation about mental health to change that perspective and encourage students to talk. MHS is still pretty open about mental health, but there could be more announcements or events put in place in order to prevent a student who is thinking suicidal thoughts from following through with them.

When it comes to students and parents, it’s very easy to quickly assume that the school did not have enough, reliable resources for kids suffering mental health. But, when looking from an administrator’s perspective, it can be hard to provide more sources when it’s inevitable that people are going to have a negative reaction towards any act. It all comes down to individuals analyzing those resources in order to repair the state of mind a student has.      

During his first PLT meetings with teachers, incoming building principal Michael Dorst referenced some goals he has for more social-emotional support, including a designated social-emotional counselor for each grade level. When freshmen are moved to West campus following the construction project. That way administration doesn’t have to worry about multiple counselors at East and West.    

MHS has provided a plethora of resources in order to help kids suffering from depression, but it’s still a matter of those resources being announced by the school and students asking for the help that they need. After all, communication is a two-way street and if there is no sign of mental illness, the depression itself is inexorable.