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The death of a Northbrook teenager has focused a shattered community’s attention on mental health - Chicago Tribune

The death of a Northbrook teenager has focused a shattered community’s attention on mental health - Chicago Tribune

The death of a Northbrook teenager has focused a shattered community’s attention on mental health - Chicago Tribune
Feb 25, 2021 3 mins, 51 secs

Dylan Buckner, 18, died by suicide Jan.

Through their grief, Karen and her husband, Chris Buckner, said they want to use their voices to help others and call attention to suicide and mental health struggles, particularly those of young people.

“I wanted to try and make something good out of this,” Chris Buckner said.

Factors associated with the pandemic may be exacerbating people’s mental health issues, according to experts.

“The best way to help someone who is thinking about suicide is for them to get some help and treatment,” said Jodie Segal of Elyssa’s Mission, a Northbrook-based organization that provides resources to help prevent teen suicide.

Dylan had previously attempted suicide in September 2020, according to his family.

“It was him fighting his brain, you know?” Chris Buckner said.

Chris Buckner believes the COVID-19 pandemic and Dylan not being in school or playing sports played a role in his death.

“I would argue, and I believe strongly, that Dylan’s death is not going to show up in COVID statistics, and yet absolutely it’s a COVID death,” Chris Buckner said.

In young people, especially, mental illnesses like depression are intensified by an absence of structure and coping methods, according to health experts.

While the data doesn’t show a large increase in total death by suicide numbers during the pandemic, professionals from local mental health agencies say they have experienced an increase in inquiries for their services in the last year.

Like other illnesses throughout the ages, the more these issues are discussed, the more people understand them, Resko said.

According to Resko, some of that stigma has existed because of a perception that one can “snap out of” mental struggles.

While the stigma surrounding therapy and having depression or anxiety issues has decreased, social worker Brickman said the world still has a long way to go with kids who struggle on a more intense level, like those whose mental illnesses are debilitating or involve suicidal ideation.

At home, collaborative conversations about mental health issues help kids identify their feelings and let them know that their parents are listening and paying attention, according to Amy Oberholtzer, founder of Community Action Together for Children’s Health, also known as CATCH.

Several local agencies, like CATCH, have been working to de-stigmatize mental illnesses and help people with their own struggles for years, efforts they say are of vital importance.

CATCH was born out of an idea to help parents navigate their kids’ mental health, Oberholtzer said.

“If we can just help people understand how important it is to be able to normalize words like depression, suicide, anxiety, mental illness, we can talk about it, and people can feel comfortable seeking help, particularly kids,” Oberholtzer said.

According to Segal, director of education for the organization, an average of 16% of students who go through the program need a follow-up, and about half those students are referred onward for continued mental health services.

“I call it CPR for the brain,” Resko said.

According to Resko and Segal, teenagers sometimes notice warning signs in their friends but don’t know how to help, or they think they’re being a good friend by not telling an adult that the person is struggling.

According to local professionals and the CDC, suicide is rarely caused by any single factor but rather a combination of possible risks.

Possible warning signs and risk factors could include, but are not limited to: a history of mental illness, previous suicide attempts or self-harm, substance abuse, major losses, like the death of a loved one or breakups, social isolation, expression of hopelessness, extreme mood swings, sleeping too little or too much and talking about wanting to die.

“We take the mental health and well-being of our students very seriously,” she said.

In the wake of Dylan’s death, the group wrote a new petition with specific requests pertaining to mental health resources in the district.

They also recognize in their initiative that the conversations within the district surrounding mental health and surrounding racial inequality, the focus of their earlier petitions, walk hand in hand.

“I think the community needs to start thinking about to how we cannot just have one conversation without having the other conversation,” said co-founder Lauren McGinnis.

Chris Buckner said his and Dylan’s experiences with Glenbrook North resources were positive but that he supports the action students and alumni are taking to speak out for improvements.

The family still does their fair share of crying, Chris Buckner said

Chris Buckner gifted Dylan a necklace with a “7” on it for Hannukah last year in honor of Dylan’s football number

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