teen suicide

In Nevada, one in four high school students contemplate taking their own life. To raise awareness, Washoe County has created a suicide prevention campaign which is airing public service announcements (PSAs) in local movie theaters. 

It’s been a year since Carla Ballesteros, a student at Damonte Ranch High School, died by suicide. KUNR’s Karina Gonzalez visited her family at her gravesite for what would have been her 17th birthday.

As a warning this story may be triggering to some listeners and if you are in crisis please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255.

In Nevada County, an unfortunate spike in youth suicides has prompted school districts to reevaluate how they support kids. The result is a handful of new emotional health programs for preschoolers through high schoolers. 

"There's a behavioral specialist now on staff and so we're one of the pilot schools to do preschool and have him come in and help. It's really great."

More than 80 percent of the country’s public middle and high schools start too early, according to a report out last week from the Centers for Disease Control. Nevada's schools rank better than the average, with about half starting at 8:30 am, but that still leaves 130,000 of the state's teens chronically sleep deprived.

Research indicates that while younger children learn best early in the day, teens perform better if they start school later in the morning.