At Mountain Creek Middle School, three ninth-grade students are leading a movement to raise awareness about mental health and prevent tragedies such as suicide and violence. 

They are part of the Say Something Squad, a national initiative created by the families affected by the Sandy Hook tragedy, which trains students to recognize warning signs in others who may be at risk of hurting themselves or others and to alert trusted adults.

“This is teaching students how to tell people when there's a problem,” said Jada Marrott, who along with Madison Searle and Eliza Wootton, help lead their school chapter.

Since the Sandy Hook tragic school shooting in December 2012, more than 11.6 million people across the country have pledged to protect children from gun violence.

At Mountain Creek, about 40 squad members have committed to “say something” to support their peers and to prevent future tragedies. 

“It was two years ago when a student, who was struggling with suicidality, came back from a mental health hospital and asked, ‘Why isn't there more suicide prevention stuff around the school?’” said school therapist Nicole Nelson. “Say Something has a free curriculum and is evidence-based. I like that it stems from family members who felt it in school and are directing it for schools nationwide to prevent any school tragedies from happening.”

The three girls decided to join the squad after attending a school assembly two years ago when a classmate shared his personal struggles.

“When (the classmate) shared his story and how he was feeling, I related so much that I wanted to join this club and be a part of that experience of how he got better and I wanted to get better too,” Jada said.

Madison said everyone listened intently to the classmate.

“It was touching. I've never seen an assembly where it was so quiet; everyone walked out of that assembly more aware,” she said.

This spring, the Say Something Squad contributed to the school’s mental health week and an assembly where students experienced a simulation showing how the loss of a peer affects an entire community. 

“It showed how one person committing suicide can affect so many people; it doesn't have to be your best friend for you to be impacted; it was powerful,” Madison said. “A lot of people feel they are lifting others burdens by ridding them of their life, but it’s not.”

Jada said the Say Something Squad can help in those situations.

“We learned you have to say something to a trusted adult. You could tell someone all day long you love them, that you don't want them to die, because it's going to hurt so many people who love them. They might not think they're loved, but they are. In their brain, they think that person who says they love them is just lying to them. That’s when a professional can help,” she said.

The Say Something Squad has been trained to develop empathy, belonging and social awareness and to help people struggling with mental illness find support. Those trainings are held throughout the year, Nelson said.

“We talk about how to prevent social isolation and look for loneliness, because those are the people who have been shown through data that they might bring a gun to school and might be a school shooter,” she said. “We talk openly in our trainings. I intentionally say, ‘suicide prevention,’ because the word ‘suicide’ is a stigma in Utah; we don't want it to be, so we talk about it openly. The curriculum also talks about anti-bullying, empathy and compassion.”

Besides social isolation, the girls said signs such as sleep deprivation, refusal to eat, absenteeism and speaking negatively about oneself prompt them to reach out to classmates in need.

They’ve learned one of the key lessons of the Say Something Squad — reaching out to trusted adults when they notice signs of someone struggling; whether it’s joking about suicide or withdrawing from friends, speaking up could save a life, Madison said.

Eliza said teachers display posters in their classrooms to let students know they’ve been trained to help. The squad also encourages peers to turn to other trusted adults, such as parents or coaches.

The girls encourage students to use the SafeUT app — a crisis chat and tip line which connects users with real-time crisis intervention for students, parents, educators and others — or call or text the 988 suicide and crisis hotline number.

“The important thing is to find someone,” Madison said. “In Utah, suicides are higher than it should be, especially our age. March, which is why we just had our mental health week, is the month that has the highest suicide attempts. We learned in our assembly that’s when most people are feeling lonely, sad and depressed.”

Eliza said mental health awareness is critical.

“We need to talk about suicide prevention, so people aren't afraid of it, because if anyone is struggling, you don't want them to be too scared to talk about it,” she said.

Jada said they want to break the stigma which comes with talking about mental health.

“In the past, if you had a mental illness, you were considered crazy and that's why they didn’t tell anybody. At the assembly, we let them know it’s normal and they're not crazy. They can talk to somebody,” she said.

Madison agrees, pointing to the need to shift people’s perception.

“Suicide ideation and depression aren't talked about enough because people are afraid if they talk about it, suicide rates will go up. But it really is the opposite. If we never talk about it, it just becomes a bigger problem and we’ll never find a cure; we're never going to get better,” she said.

Jada understands what some of her classmates may be experiencing.

“I was severely depressed during seventh grade. I felt like I had no friends. There were people around me, but I felt I was isolated in a crowd. I would go home and not want to do anything. I wouldn't eat. I just wanted to sleep. It was rough, because of my panic attacks. I was worried I wasn't good enough; I felt I had to live up to so many expectations of my parents, my family and my friends. I felt I had to be the perfect person for everyone else, and I realized later I just needed to be good enough for myself, because if you're not good enough for yourself, you can't be good enough for anybody else,” she said.

Talking to professionals and knowing she wasn’t alone helped.

“I'm going to have depression and anxiety. I'm going to have panic attacks. But that's OK because it's something I can use to become more empathetic to others. I don't want anybody to go through what I did, so I'm going to try to help everyone the best I can,” Jada said.

The club began the school year by building connections during Hello Week, fostering inclusivity through lunchtime activities, games and pledging to “say something.”

Then, the squad held an anti-bullying week. The girls said prior to the week, it had been common to see slap fighting, name calling, vaping and other mean things happening at the school.

Madison said they are combating bullying through small acts of kindness such as saying hi or paying a compliment.

“I feel people can be kinder. Simple things can change somebody’s whole entire perspective on their day,” she said.

Looking back on their leadership roles, Eliza said she’s glad Say Something has made an impact at the school.

“Say Something has raised a lot of awareness; people have a better understanding of what mental health is, what a person with anxiety is dealing with, or what is going through the mind of someone dealing with depression. People have become more empathetic in understanding others,” she said. “Something good did come out of something bad.”

Jada remembers when she once masked her feelings and felt alone.

“It wasn’t until that spring when we had that assembly about mental illness when I realized I needed help,” she said. “People didn’t know the warning signs and that's why it's important to raise awareness. We need to continue to talk about this.”

With more than 34,000 schools involved nationwide, Madison said students are playing a critical part in saving lives. She said since its inception, more than 700 suicides have been prevented and 18 school shootings have been averted. 

Jada said tragedies happen when people who struggle don't know how to cope with it and show up at school.

“It's really a sad thing, but it happens,” she said. “We shouldn't have to grow up with it. It shouldn't be a thing, but it is. It’s our reality. It happens. It’s ours to own, to educate people, to prevent. We’re all part of it and it’s up to all of us to say something.”

Eliza added: “That’s why it’s important to deal with mental health; it might prevent future tragedies. It’s up to all of us to speak up and support each other — because every life matters.”