When we talk about suicide prevention, the conversation usually focuses on intervention when someone is already in a crisis. But at Connecticut Children’s, we believe in building a safety net that helps young people before a crisis arises. This is called Primary Prevention.
Think of mental health through the lens of physical health:
- Primary Prevention: Eating well and exercising to stay healthy.
- Secondary Prevention: Getting a checkup to catch a small problem early.
- Tertiary Prevention: Going to the ER for an illness or injury or receiving treatment for an established condition.
For youth suicide prevention, primary prevention includes building community and connection to reduce isolation, promoting mental wellness, and connecting young people with resources early, so that risk is reduced before problems escalate. Investing in wellness early reduces the overall "load" on the healthcare system. By preventing the crisis, we save families from the trauma of an emergency room visit or a psychiatric hospitalization.
When it comes to suicide prevention, an otherwise daunting issue, primary prevention happens in public, social spaces in ways that invite people into normalized conversations around mental health. It provides resources and coping skills to people who might not even realize they need help yet, or who are too afraid to ask for it. Primary prevention benefits everyone, even those not identified as “at risk”. Everyone has mental health, but not everyone has the tools or resources to keep their mental health healthy.
Fresh Check Day: Not Your Average Health Fair
At Connecticut Children’s, our Youth Suicide Prevention Center addresses each level of prevention. Through the Office for Community Child Health, Connecticut Children’s connects clinical care, community partnerships, and innovation efforts to create more integrated systems for children, youth and families.
One of the most effective ways we bring primary prevention to life is through Fresh Check Day. Created by the Jordan Porco Foundation and managed by our Youth Suicide Prevention Center, Fresh Check Day is a mental health promotion and suicide prevention event held on hundreds of college campuses nationwide each year.
How does Fresh Check Day utilize primary prevention strategies?
- Fun and Festive: Through music, food, giveaways, and activities, it creates a "festive" atmosphere that disarms the topic of mental health in an engaging way.
- Approachable: It transforms heavy topics into interactive booths that address various aspects of mental health that young people face today. It meets students where they are, making it safe and normal to talk about mental health.
- Peer Centered: The event is often led by students for students, with support from campus faculty and staff. This builds a sense of community that reduces the isolation that so often leads to a crisis.
- Resource Focused: By the time a student leaves, they have a connection to campus, local and national resources they can use the moment they need them.
Primary prevention efforts like Fresh Check Day work to reduce the number of young people reaching crisis by helping to create safer, more supportive campus environments.
How You Can Support the Young People in Your Life
Suicide prevention is a community effort. You can help by advocating for these "upstream" efforts that reach kids before they are struggling.
- Educate yourself: Learn about the signs of distress and the resources in your community as well as nationwide, like the 988 Lifeline.
- Ask about their campus: Does your student’s school have "Fresh Check Day" or similar wellness events?
- Normalize the "Check-In": Talk about mental health as a part of overall health, just like sleep or nutrition.
By investing in primary prevention like Fresh Check Day, we aren't just reacting to crisis - we are building an environment where young people can truly thrive.
Learn more about Fresh Check Day and how your student’s campus can participate at freshcheckday.com.