Educational Resources Store

A Cry for Help teaches young people to recognize the signs of depression and suicide in their peers.  In the wake of a suicide, family members and friends wonder what they could have done to help, and how they could have prevented this tragedy.  This video talks about how to intervene and get help when a friend is contemplating suicide.  A Cry for Help features Sue Eastgard, President of The American Association of Suicidology, and groups of teens.  This video is designed for a teen audience, grades 7-12.

Runtime: 22 mins

Stress affects everyone, including you.  A small amount of stress can be good, especially if it serves as a motivating force.  However, the level of stress in a person's life can become unmanageable.  When you have many equally important responsibilities that require your attention simultaneously, you might not know what to do.  Understand the purpose of stress and learn how to handle it correctly.  Included are some effective strategies to help you cope with stress and provide you with better equipment to keep your cool the next time life threatens to stress you out!

Runtime:  26 mins

Parents, classes, work and extra-curricular activities can all become stressful aspects of any teen's life.  Constant demands on someone's time can lead to feelings of frustration and futility.   Stress is a part of everyday life, but when it gets unmanageable it can lead to burnout.  Recognize and understand the symptoms associated with burnout.  Find out ways you can manage your stress before it gets out of control and results in burnout.

Runtime:  26 mins

Every day, in schools and in other institutions, aggressive, harassing acts are carried out with frightening regularity.  The oppression and intimidation caused by bullies can make it almost impossible to concentrate upon an education or a career.  Cycles of violence can be broken by confronting and eradicating environments in which bullies thrive.  By using education, empowerment, commitment, and unity, socially maladjusted individuals can be convinced to stop their abuse.

Runtime: 26 mins

We have all been affected by stress, both emotionally and physically.  If stress is not managed correctly, it can result in substance abuse, violence, or even the possibility of suicide.   This video program answers the question, 'How can a person cope with stress?

Runtime:  15 mins

Social anxiety is America's third-largest psychiatric disorder.  It usually develops during the mid-teen years, and almost always before the age of twenty-five.  Understand what triggers the development of anxiety and learn how it can sometimes evolve into a full-blown panic disorder, which is characterized by recurrent attacks of terror or fear.  The consequences of social anxiety are examined and effective treatments are discussed.

Runtime:  22 mins

This second part of a two-part series helps young people understand suicide, identify warning signs and implement prevention.  An ethnically diverse group of suicide survivors and family members of suicide victims participate in an open forum discussion, creating an environment where all involved can talk about their experiences and how suicide has affected their lives.  Individual experts in teen suicide are also interviewed, complementing the discussion and providing concrete facts on suicide detection, action and prevention.  A host serves to interface between the group and the experts.  This video focuses on warning signs and prevention; facts on statistics on what works and what doesn't; how to recognize the signs of suicide; and what to do if you think a friend or a loved one is contemplating ending their life.  Part of the Teen Suicide Video Series.

Runtime:  35 mins

When teens commit suicide, it is due to a set of events that occur from feelings that they are unwanted, misunderstood, angry, ashamed, abused, unloved or victimized.  They may have feeling of guilt about disappointing family, friends or they feel an overwhelming sense that they are too much of a burden on others.  If a teen is in a deep depression, they may believe that suicide is the only solution.  Unfortunately, teen suicides affect everyone.  Those who barely knew the teen may develop feelings of guilt, confusion and the sense they could have done something themselves to prevent the suicide.  Hear from Real Teens as they discuss their feelings about severe depression and suicide.  The program has a recommended companion title: Depression

Runtime: 20 mins

Too much stress can affect the enjoyment of life, being productive, and making good choices.  It's a well known fact that stress can lead to health problems and cause psychological harm.  Most teens are under some stress, from school, dating, home life, and socializing.  This important episode of Real Life Teens was created to help teens through the very real issue of stress in their lives.  The program covers common areas of stress in a teen's life: academic stress, social stress and stress from home life.  Real teens give real solutions and insights into this important subject.

Runtime:  20 mins

Unfortunately, teen depression is very common.  It can become a debilitating condition, interfering with school, social life, and family life.  In this video, teens learn about the real risks of teen depression, how to identify depression and why depression interferes with a their life.  Students learn about self-medication and the dangers of trying to solve chemical imbalances themselves.  They also learn about the warning signs of depression and why it's important to seek help.  Finally, the program touches on the tragedy of teen suicide and what to do if you or a friend needs help.  This is very important advice for a dangerous and wide-spread health condition among today's teens.  Real Teens speak frankly about their "dark side". The program has a recommended companion title: Deep Depression and Suicide

Runtime:  22 mins

This video graphically describes the realities of teen suicide, including the warning signs of suicide and ways to prevent the suicide of a friend.  Unfortunately, statistics show that suicide is the third leading cause of death among people between the ages of 15 and 24, and the suicide rate for 15-19 year olds has quadrupled since 1950.  Suicide devastates surviving loved ones.   Find out why it should never be considered as a solution and learn how to recognize and understand the warning signs a suicidal person may be exhibiting.   Someday, you may be the one to convince a young person to choose life.

Runtime: 17 mins

All of us will face problems throughout our lives.  Most of the time, we just work through them, and eventually things get easier.  Sometimes we are unable to get out of the despondency, and may think that nothing will ever get better.  We just need help in order to bring about change, and this program can provide helpful insight to those in need of assistance.

Runtime:  46 mins

Many depressed teenagers also have problems with alcohol or other drugs.   In some cases, the depression comes first and they try using drugs as a way to escape.  Other times, the alcohol or other drug use comes first, and depression is caused by the drug itself.  The important thing is that if someone has one or both of these problems, the sooner they get help the better.  This program teaches how to be honest about both issues - showing how depressed teens can deal effectively with their illness without substance abuse and how to communicate with people who can help them get into treatment.

Runtime:  23 mins

The statistics on teen depression are alarming, with one in eight suffering from depression.  Many studies also indicate that one in five children have some sort of mental, behavioral, or emotional problem and one in ten of these problems are serious. Of all these children and teens, a mere 30% receive any sort of intervention or treatment.  The other 70% simply struggle through the pain of mental illness or emotional turmoil, doing their best to make it to adulthood.  The consequences of untreated depression can range from increased incidence of depression in adulthood, involvement in the criminal justice system, or in some cases, suicide.  Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people ages 15 to 24.  Even more shocking, it is the sixth leading cause of death among children ages 5 - 14.  Many of these struggling teens never receive counseling, therapy or medical intervention, even though the National Institute of Mental Health reports that studies show treatments of depression in children and adolescents can be effective.

Runtime:  20 mins

As they grow up, teens start feeling more emotions and will have experiences that may leave them feeling stressed out, confused, angry, or depressed.  Most teens are able to handle the range of emotions they experience, but some are unable to, and head down the path of self-destructive behavior.  In this video, students will find out what may lead someone to destroy him or herself, how he or she does it, and the ways they may be able to be helped.

Runtime: 28 mins

This first part of a two-part series helps young people understanding suicide; facts and statistics about teen suicide; why it happens; the myths and fallacies surrounding it; and the ways in which it affects family and friends.  An ethnically diverse group of suicide survivors and family members of suicide victims participate in an open forum discussion, creating an environment where all involved can talk about their experiences and how suicide has affected their lives.  Individual experts in teen suicide are also interviewed, complementing the discussion and providing concrete facts on suicide detection, action and prevention.  A host serves to interface between the group and the experts.  Part of the Teen Suicide: Finding the Will to Live Video Series.

Runtime: 28 mins