LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — In the last month, two students from Lake County public schools attempted taking their own lives, and health professionals say the coronavirus pandemic is partly to blame.
What You Need To Know
- School officials: 2 Lake Co. students recently attempted suicide
- Health professionals say COVID-19 pandemic is partly to blame
- Get more Lake County coverage
Now, help is being made available to assist local students.
A scholarship fund has been set up to help educate school mental health liaisons. Officials say it's important to identify struggling students before it's too late.
Tahirah Patterson is one of the schools mental health liaisons.
“We have a lot of peer pressure, social media bullying, owning up to your parents expectations. Those normal developmental phases that they are going through are now exacerbated by this pandemic at this point,” Patterson said.
The AAS’s School Suicide Prevention Accreditation teaches the best evidence-based prevention practices with a focus on identifying and dealing with at risk youths.
Sign up now for one of our newsletters that will show up in your inbox every weekday at 1 p.m. The newsletters highlight the most important stories of the day that you need to know for your area.