TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Topics like depression, anxiety and suicide are challenging to address when you don't know where to start.
One in 4 Idahoans struggle with some form of mental health struggle and it isn't just a problem for adults. Students are facing the challenges that come along with mental health. Twin Falls High School is working to break the ice on this tough topic.
Sources of Strength, or SOS, is a student group made of 100 high schoolers with the goal of addressing and helping other students who struggle with mental health.
“I wanted it to hit all of the corners, so we have students that struggle with mental health. We have students that are athletes that you think have perfect lives we have musicians, we have actors,” said Mariah Sorenson, counselor at Twin Falls High School.
Sorenson has seen hundreds of students pass through her office and knows the struggle students face when it comes to mental health.
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“It’s very interesting for me to see that they all think they're the only one,” she said, which is where the idea of SOS came from. “I think sources of strength just tells everyone we all feel this way and it’s okay.”
Even though there are some resources accessible to students, some are unaware of what they can actually do to address struggles with mental health. SOS looks to help with this issue by creating a student base core than can lead others in an effort to tackle mental health problems.
“Our purpose is basically to bring awareness to mental health and suicide awareness, and we are kind of here to break the ice and get ourselves into the student body,” said Shaylee Quinton, senior at Twin Falls High School.
Twin Falls high school is hosting 1degreeOfSeperation, a traveling comedy group that address mental health. For more information on them, click here.
