NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention here in Nashville wants to remind you how important it is to take care of your mental health. The group also wants to young people to know about the coping skills they can use to help them through rough patches.
According to AFSP Tennessee, suicide is the third leading cause of death for people between 10 and 24 years old in Tennessee.
That is why the Youth Mental Health Festival Saturday will remind young people that they are not alone and that there is help out there.
The festival is from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Hadley Park, and it will have yoga, rock painting, sound therapy, movement therapy, and other activities that will teach young people what they can do to maintain their mental health.
A community resource fair to learn more about the help you can receive locally, guest speakers, food, and vendors will also be featured.
Meghan Gwaltney, AFSP Tennessee Area Director, said the idea for the festival came from a volunteer who lost her brother to suicide 9 years ago when he was only 17. Now that volunteer has dedicated her life to reaching out to youth and building a support system around them.
The organization also wants to focus on younger people because of the toll they faced during the pandemic.
"If we really think about the ways that school was canceled, all extracurricular activities stopped, your social network completely collapsed," said Gwaltney. "If you're 12, 13... 16, 17, all of a sudden your world becomes very small. So, we — particularly as we come out of COVID — want to be sure that we are attending to the needs of youth and their mental health."
If your mental health is suffering, or someone you know is in crisis, dial the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline — 9-8-8 — for help.
