'Youth Mental Health: A KET Forum', about youth suicide and ways to help, will air live Sept. 13 and be repeated and online

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

Kentucky Educational Television is airing a forum that examines teen and young-adult suicide in the state and how to prevent it.

"Youth Mental Health: A KET Forum," hosted by Renee Shaw, will examine the youth-suicide problem by talking with students, educators and mental-health professionals about the root causes of anxiety and depression. It will also discuss ways to help young people in crisis. 

It premieres at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, Sept. 13, on KET. It will also be shown Thursday, Sept. 15, at 2:30 a.m. on KET and at 7:30 a.m. on KETKY; and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18, on KET.

If you have a question about youth mental health that you would like to see addressed in the forum, send the question to publicaffairs@KET.org. 

After the live 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" will air Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 9 p.m. ET.

After the Kentucky program airs, it will be available for streaming at KET.org and on the PBS video app. September is National Suicide Prevention Month. 

Help is available for anyone who is thinking about suicide or knows someone who is considering it. To get help, dial 988, which is the new suicide and crisis lifeline. The new three-digit mental health crisis hotline offers free, confidential support and is available 24 hours a day.

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