Suicide is the second leading cause of death for teens and young adults in Kentucky. One out of seven Kentucky high school students report having seriously considered taking their own life.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and a new KET special – Youth Mental Health: A KET Forum, hosted by Renee Shaw – examines the suicide problem, talking with students, educators and mental health professionals to explore the root causes of anxiety and depression and learn how to help young people in crisis.

Youth Mental Health: A KET Forum airs Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 8/7 pm on KET. After it airs, the program will be available for streaming at KET.org and on the PBS Video app.

Guests appearing on the program include:

• Allen Brenzel, MD, with the Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental & Intellectual Disabilities 
• Alissa Briggs, Ph.D., psychologist at the University of Kentucky 
• Damien Sweeney, with the Kentucky Department of Education, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging 
• Joe Bargione, Ph.D., a retired JCPS school psychologist now with the Bounce Coalition  
• Molly Jones, with The Pete Foundation 
• Alexandra Perry, a high-school senior at the Ignite Institute in Erlanger, Ky., and member of the Commissioner’s Student Advisory Council 

Have a question about youth mental health you would like to see addressed in the forum? Send questions to publicaffairs@KET.org.

Additionally, after the forum, KET will air Facing Suicide, a PBS program that explores the powerful stories of those impacted by suicide, taking us to the frontiers of science, medicine and health policy to show us what we know about suicide and what that knowledge tells us about helping those at risk.

Facing Suicide airs Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 9/8 pm on KET.

For more KET programs about mental health and related topics, visit KET.org/mental-health.

KET is Kentucky’s largest classroom, where learning comes to life for more than one million people each week via television, online and mobile. Learn more about Kentucky’s preeminent public media organization at KET.org, on Twitter @KET and at facebook.com/KET.