Recently, news told about Nicklas (14) who died by suicide. For the family, it happened like lightning out of the blue. – We really wanted Nicklas to tell someone. No one has been able to see that he was having a hard time, says his mother, Julie Heimstad. Julie Heimstad, Nicklas’ mother, hopes that the openness about what they have experienced can help others. Her wish is that children and young people can learn more about mental health at school, so that they can understand how important it is to talk about feelings. – It is so important to dare to talk about those things, to tell when things are difficult and tough, she says. Need someone to talk to? If you need to talk to someone, there are several helplines, chat services and support groups where you can share your thoughts and feelings completely anonymously, and get support, advice and guidance: Mental health on the helpline 116 123 Mental health also has a chat, which you can find at mentalhelse.no. Mental health youth has a chat service that is open seven days a week. You can find it at mentalhelseungdom.no Church SOS chat service: soschat.no Young Conversation: [email protected] Church SOS also has a helpline on 22 40 00 40 Cross on the neck from the Red Cross: 800 33 321 (for children and young people up to 18 years.) Kors på halsen also has a chat: korspåhalsen.no (for children and young people up to 18 years old.) The emergency telephone for children and young people: 116 111 Sami national competence service – mental health care and substance abuse 78 96 74 00 SnakkOmPsyken.no: Chat service run by Blå Kors Livslosen is a non-clinical low-threshold service where you can come and stay for 5 days: 45 84 54 63 In urgent cases, call 113 You will find more helplines here Want new, effective measures Suicide is the most frequent cause of death among young people under 25 years, according to figures from the Institute of Public Health. Professor of psychiatry, Lars Mehlum, believes that new and effective measures must now be initiated. – We need to reach out further than just those who contact the emergency services, he says. Mehlum believes young people, and especially boys and men, must learn to put feelings into words. Psychiatry professor Lars Mehlum wants knowledge-based programs to prevent suicide into schools. Photo: Truls Alnes Antonsen / news Knowledge-based programs in schools have shown effect, the professor points out. Among other things, he highlights a scheme of five sessions, where instructors from Mental Health travel to the schools. The program contains exercises and tasks in which the students take an active role. – It can actually help to save lives among much larger groups of young people than what we see today. Many schools do a good job with this, he says. – But what we lack is to have some norms that say that all schools must do this here and they must be knowledge-based. Mehlum believes these norms must come from school authorities, the Norwegian Directorate of Education and the Ministry of Education. – They must set standards and give some guidelines, so that all schools know what they have to adhere to. – Just as it is a matter of course with vaccines, we must have a matter of course when it comes to preventing suicide in schools, he says. Can prevent deaths Leader of the organization Leve i Telemark, Trine Colseth Aaby, has herself lost a son to suicide. She supports Mehlum that there should be a requirement that all schools have an offer in mental health. – We at Leve are very keen to get life skills into schools in one form or another. To make this work, it has to go through the political system. It must be a responsibility of the schools. Leader of the organization Leve i Telemark, Trine Colseth Aaby. Photo: Privat Aaby believes it is absolutely crucial that young people gain an early understanding of life crises and that life can be tough. Then the schools have to get on the track early, she says. – They need to get that knowledge at a young age. That life can be demanding and get some tools to deal with what is difficult. I think it’s pretty tough to be young in both secondary school and primary school now, so that knowledge has to come in early. – So more focus on mental health in schools can help prevent deaths? – Yes. It will help to start the conversation on mental health and give young people the tools to deal with difficult situations and emotions. That’s why we write about suicide: Talking about suicide is an ethical dilemma for the media. At the same time, suicide is a major social problem, which is clearly shown in the new figures from the Cause of Death Register. Among young people under the age of 25, suicide is the most frequent cause of death. Young boys and men are overrepresented in the statistics. Suicide researchers believe it is wrong not to mention suicide. It has been shown that mention of mental disorders can lead to less stigmatisation. Last year, the point about suicide in the Vær varsom poster was changed. Instead of strong warnings against writing about suicide, the new point signals greater openness around the topic. In this case, it is clearly stated where you can ask for help if you need to talk to someone. Will not control the schools in detail The Ministry of Education will not introduce a common norm, replies State Secretary Synnøve Mjeldheim Skaar. Knowledge of mental health is important, but the state will not control teaching in classrooms in detail, she comments. State Secretary Synnøve Mjeldheim Skaar (Ap) Photo: Ministry of Education – It is the schools that have to adapt how they set up teaching, she says. According to Skaar, it is clearly stated in the curricula that pupils must learn about mental health and how to take care of it. The municipalities must also ensure that employees with expertise in mental health can contribute to the school, and have a low threshold for health care when needed, she points out. Published 04/07/2024, at 17.06
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Requests the authorities to prioritize mental health as much as vaccines in schools – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
