Florida district highlights mental health resources after loss of 3 high school students in 1 week

Seminole County Public Schools in central Florida is mourning the loss of three students who committed suicide in a week – all who died within 48 hours of one another, according to news reports.

“This is a devastating tragedy. A lot of hearts are hurting,” Joe Gallagher, founder of the Ali’s Hope nonprofit, told Hearst’s WESH.com. “I’m hoping this is a wake-up call that we can do something in this community.”

At least two of the students were high school athletes, the news outlet reported in an Oct. 16 video, who withheld their names out of respect for the families’ privacy.

“As a school community, we want every student to know that they are never alone and that help is always available,” the district wrote in an email to parents. 

“Each of our campuses has compassionate, trained mental health professionals who are either on-site or available to provide support, guidance, and care whenever it’s needed.” 

Gallagher, whose only daughter committed suicide in 2007, launched Ali’s Hope Foundation “to inspire hope and improve the quality of life for adolescents and young adults living with mental health concerns.” 

The website cites suicide as the third leading cause of death for state residents between 15-24 years old, according to the Florida Department of Children and Families. 

“There’s a lot of stress for teens. Their mental health has been under pressure for a very long time,” psychotherapist Cherlette McCullough told WESH.com. “Children, or teens, feel okay opening up when they feel seen and not judged.” 

Free mental health resources include the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and National Alliance on Mental Illness. 

“There is hope and there is help,” McCullough said. “Understand there are big feelings. They’re real, but they’re not permanent.” 

The district enrolled more than 66,700 students in the 2022-23 academic year, making it the 13th largest district statewide. 

Gallup study: Mental health at 24-year low

As previously reported by The Lion, recent research from Gallup found only 75% of Americans self-reporting mental health as excellent or good in 2024 – a substantial decrease from 89% in 2012. 

The research firm blamed the results on “a decadelong decline that began around 2013 and accelerated sharply with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.” 

Specific demographics reporting worse mental health outcomes included women aged 18-29, low-income households, irreligious people and Democrats. 

Meanwhile, other segments of the U.S. population were more likely to report positive mental health outcomes – including those homeschooling for eight years or more, having a Christian worldview, and being married. 

Analysts such as Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon also warn parents about unlimited social media and cell phone use, which are documented to affect mental health. 

“Instead of therapy and diagnosis, our schools must return to the natural sources of mental well-being: strong families, nutrition and fitness, and hope for the future,” wrote Kennedy and McMahon in a Washington Post op-ed. 

“Rather than subjecting students to yearly screenings and empowering a ‘longhouse’ of therapists, schools should engage and rely on parents to raise their children with nutritious family meals and family interaction, outdoor play and role-modeling.”