Nevada students tackle tough topic amid pandemic, mental health struggles

Some Nevada teens and students led a ground-breaking virtual talk on Thursday night to discuss coping with the isolation, loneliness and other mental health struggles amid the pandemic.

The talk was hosted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Southern Nevada and touched on a variety of key points and strategies to help curb a troubling trend of student suicides.

I'M TODD QUINONES..AND... I'M TRICIA KEAN..TONIGHT...A GROUND-BREAKING TALK.....REGARDING... A TOUGH TOPIC..TEENS...AND CHILDREN.....SUFFERING IN SILENCE..AND...SOME TAKING THEIR...OWN LIVES...LETS GET TO....13 INVESTIGATES REPORTER....JOE BARTELS IS LIVE....AT C-C-S-D HEADQUARTERS....NEAR SAHARA AND DECATUR..AND JOE...A NEW APPROACH....TO STOP THIS....TROUBLING TREND!!!THE DISTRICT GOT NATIONALATTENTION..

JUST DAYS AGO..AT LEAST 19 CLARK COUNTYSTUDENTS..HAVE DIED BY SUICIDE..AUTHORITIES SAY..URGENT ACTION IS NEEDED TONORMALIZE MENTAL HEALTHTREATMENT..SO OTHERS DON'T SUFFER INSILENCE.KIDS IN CLASSROOMS..AND BRINGING BACK SOCIALACTIVITIES..STILL..

UP IN THE AIR..FOR CLARK COUNTY STUDENTS..BUT THE PROLONGED LONLIENESSAND ISOLATION AT HOME...FOR MANY.

.IS TAKING A TOLL."I THINK THIS PANDEMIC HAS MADEUS RETHINK HOW WE LIVE ANDEVERYTHING AND IT'S MADE USMORE MINDFUL ABOUT OUR SAFETYAND OUR LOVED ONES AND IT ADDSANXIETY ABOUT THIS UNKNOWNVIRUS THAT YOU CAN'T SEE." TIM IS A SOPHOMORE ATADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES ACADEMYIN LAS VEGAS..HE JOINED OTHERS FOR AVIRTUAL TALK.ABOUT THE PANDEMIC..AND MENTAL HEALTH..HOSTED BYTHE NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTALHEALTH."I FELT LIKE AT THE BEGINNINGOF THE PANDEMIC AND I FELT LIKEI FELT LIKE A LOT OF THINGSWERE HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME" DANNA..A STUDENT AT CIMMARRON MEMORIALHIGH SCHOOL..SAYS SHE'S FINDING COMFORT..IN REACHING OUT TO FRIENDS..AND TRULY SHARING HER FEELINGS.WHILE ASKING OTHERS TO DO THESAME..IT'S PART OF A MOVEMENT TOREACH OUT TO 5 FRIENDS....WITHTHE HASHTAG..

ASK 5..." I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANTTHAT WE DON'T FOCUS TOO MUCH ONSOCIAL MEDIA ESPECIALLY BECAUSEEVERYTHING WE POSTED ON SOCIALMEDIA IT'S LIKE A HIGHLIGHTREEL OF OUR LIVES WE DON'T SEEWHAT'S GOING ON BEHIND THE" LEADERS SAY..MENTAL HEALTH IS A VERY SERIOUSAND URGENT CRISIS FACINGSTUDENTS..EXPERTS SAY..JUST LIKE A BROKEN ARMREQUIRES MEDICAL ATTENTION.MENTAL HEALTH CAN LEAVEEMOTIONAL SCARS THAT REQUIRETREATMENT TOO.2:10 "A LOT OF THIS WAS BROUGHTON THE PANDEMIC THE PANDEMICHAS EXACERBATED THE MENTALHEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTHCONDITIONS AND WE'RE STARTINGTO SEE SOME OF THE RESIDUALEFFECTS FROM THATUNFORTUNATELY." DOCTOR SHELDON JACOBSSAYS..THERE'S BEEN A SPIKE IN STUDENTSUICIDES..IN THE PAST 12 MONTHSAND ALSO JUMPS IN HOSPITALSTAYS CONNECTED TO KIDS INPSYCHIATIC DISTRESS..WITHSUICIDUAL THOUGHTS OR ATTEMPTS.THE KEY IS COMMUNICATION..ANDREMEMBER THERE IS HOPE.THE GROUP URGES..STUDENTS TO REACH OUT TO THEIRFRIENDS OR PEERS..IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOWNEEDS HELP..WE HAVE LINKS POSTED WITH THISSTORY RIGHT NOW ON K-T-N-V DOTCOM.REPORTING LIVE JOE BARTELS 13ACTION NEWS.THE HEALTH DISTRICT WILL BETAKING.....