The UMatter Mission
Everyone who knows Alexandra describes her as brilliant and beautiful, a gifted artist and a good friend. Last year in mid-winter she plunged into a severe depression. Two kinds of medication appeared to help at first, but she never liked the way the pills made her feel and although she hasn’t told anyone, she doesn’t take them anymore. She’s feeling pressured by friends at school to “chill” and “get back to normal”. What are they talking about? Her parents keep telling her to “buck up”. She’s afraid she’s becoming a burden. And it’s almost winter again.
Is Alexandra at risk for another depressive episode or even suicide?
Students like Alexandra may not be so rare. According to the Vermont Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 22% of youth between the ages of 11 and 23 report feeling depressed for two weeks or longer. Among the same group, suicide is the second leading cause of death.
Umatter Youth Suicide Prevention addresses the needs of at-risk youth. Equipping adults to provide early and appropriate support and intervention, creating environments free of harassment and bullying and encouraging help-seeking behavior are just some of the steps that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of youth suicide.
The Umatter mission is to:
- Promote the message that youth suicide is preventable
- Equip gatekeepers with the knowledge and skills to respond effectively to youth in distress
- Increase public awareness of the importance of addressing mental health issues
- Establish a broad-based suicide prevention and intervention strategy throughout Vermont
- Sponsor a media campaign to reduce the stigma associated with being a consumer of mental health, substance abuse and suicide prevention services
- Promote positive youth development
- Put into place long-term, sustainable approaches to prevention and early intervention
