TRIGGER WARNING: This story discusses suicide.
SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — In the last several years, Utah has averaged 648 suicides per year placing it among the states with the highest suicide rates in the nation. Hundreds of Utah high school students are actively working to prevent suicide in their communities.
Students from about a dozen schools met at Riverton High School on Thursday to learn more about suicide prevention awareness through speakers and activities.
They’re part of the Hope Squad program , a Utah-based suicide prevention organization that now spans 43 U.S. states and several countries. The program started 20 years ago in the Provo City School District with the help of a local mental health agency, Brigham Young University and the University of Utah .
It is dedicated to preventing suicide through peer-to-peer support.
Hope Squad advisor Amy Trimble says students are more likely to speak to other students first when they may be struggling, which is why a program like this can make a huge difference.