Know warning signs to help young people cope with anxiety, depression

MIAMI – Nancy Morales dedicates her career to helping young people cope with anxiety and depression.  

She’s a school counselor in the Miami-Dade School District. Morales explains what behaviors might signal a student needs mental health resources.

“Isolating themselves, they’re sad, don’t talk to their friends, they tend to sit in the back of the room.”

At Felix Varela High School, where Morales works, they teach students to look for warning signs.

“Students have relationships with other students, sometimes we’re unaware, but a student makes us aware.”

Once aware, Morales shares how counselors work to help students in need acknowledge their feelings to cope with their troubles.

“When students don’t acknowledge how they’re feeling, those things tend to pile up, and they feel hopeless.”

And Morales’ school will take a proactive approach Monday on World Mental Health Awareness Day.  Counselors will take time to visit with students during lunch.

“We will be very visible and meet with the students to let them know all our school’s resources.”

Morales has worked for more than two decades as a counselor.  She says there’s a rise in anxiety and depression among young people in recent years, pointing to social media as a contributing factor.

“Students don’t feel that they fit in. They compare themselves to others. Have these feelings that they are not adequate.”

Morales says counseling is a significant first step to addressing these feelings, but parents should also engage with their children in fun activities and get them away from electronics.

“So the student has other outlets, other things they can occupy their mind that is healthy that bring out those endorphins and make them feeling good about themselves.”

On Thursday, a student fell to his death at Fort Lauderdale High School. 

Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Chief Stephen Gollan said the student, who was possibly 17 years old, jumped from a balcony at the school, at 1600 NE 4th Avenue.

The injured student was taken to Broward Health Medical Center where he died.

Gollan said, “The preliminary investigation shows that the student took his life in an act of suicide and had left messaging prior to doing that.”