Broken Arrow Schools To Host Suicide Prevention Forum

NewsOn6.com

BROKEN ARROW, Oklahoma -- Broken Arrow Schools will host a suicide prevention forum this week featuring two mothers whose daughters committed suicide.

The forum is set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 26 at the South Intermediate High School at 301 West New Orleans.

The idea behind the forum is to enhance community awareness of risk factors associated with suicide and help the community develop strategies for suicide prevention in Broken Arrow youth, according to organizers Kristin Gillespie and Amy Mundis-Lindhorst.

"Every two hours and five minutes, a person under the age of 25 completes suicide," Mundis-Lindhorst said. "That means 12 young adults successfully take their own lives every day. For every successful suicide there are up to 200 suicide attempts per day. That means up to 2400 young adults try to kill themselves daily. This is a serious problem among teenagers."

Robin Hudson and Joan Benedict-Dickey, two mothers who lost daughters to suicide, will tell their stories. Two South Intermediate students are also scheduled to speak on how suicide has impacted their lives.

All Broken Arrow students, parents, teachers, and community members are encouraged to attend this forum, Mundis-Lindhorst added.