Sage Hill Senior's Mental Health Podcasts Aim To Help Teens Cope

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — There is a stigma around mental health in our society, says Newport Beach senior Param Desagani, and the only way to remove that is by education.

Param runs a suicide prevention and mental health awareness website for teens, "Help Keep A Life."

He is like many students across Orange County, an active teen with a drastically reduced schedule, and more time alone than with friends. How his peers' mental health would be affected by the shutdown weighed heavily on Param amid the coronavirus shutdown over summer. That's when he added a podcast to his website to educate his peers on the dangers of social isolation resulting from the coronavirus pandemic.

Patch spoke with Param on what drew him to develop this website and evolve it into a podcast that can help others experiencing a mental health crisis. At 17 and a senior, he is looking toward what comes next amid attending virtual school and juggling a hefty course load in advance of graduation. Param is an active Division 1 tennis player. These days, in the coronavirus pandemic, he has much of his off time since March powerlifting, cooking, reading books and growing his Help Keep A Life website.

Four years ago, as a freshman at Sage Hill High School, Param became "deeply affected by a story on teenage suicide," he told Patch. That year, a Ladera Ranch middle school student claimed their own life, as did a prominent Orange County Fire Authority firefighter.

Orange County Health Care Agency released a report in 2016 saying that suicide was the fourth-leading cause of death among teenagers. Children were dying and doing self-harm as a result of bullying and falling victim to the pressures of societal expectations.

"I wanted to dig in and do something to help," he said.

He did so by first developing a knowledge base of resources and, now, tackling difficult topics with mental health experts in Orange County and nationally.

"Everyone has different challenges," Param said. As a student who has taken multiple AP classes, is active in tennis and is preparing for college, he says it is easy for students to ignore mental health.

For him, life is stressful this semester. He's taking five AP classes, a few of which are difficult to learn in isolation, he says. Sage Hill is also known as the most challenging private school in Orange County, according to Niche.com.

"It's necessary to maintain social distancing, but it's important to message, chat and stay in touch with friends while you're studying from home," Param said.

As a freshman, he began researching the topics of depression and suicide. "Both are a major health concern," Param told Patch. Learning more about teen suicide, and its causes, he turned his shock into research, a website and then a podcast.

"Help Keep A Life" is the fruit of that effort.

"I started interviewing professionals across the nation to increase adolescents' awareness regarding the far-reaching issue," he says.

Some of the biggest challenges faced by teens daily, according to Param, are:

• Academic pressure
• Fear of failure
• Social pressure, bullying
• Uncertainty about the future

"I believe that through creating meaningful routines, healthy habits, and reaching out to trusted adults and peers, one can overcome these feelings of hopelessness and despair," he says.

He doesn't shy away from speaking with leaders in mental health studies. Among those he's interviewed for his podcast are Laguna Beach's Dr. Gayani DeSilva, whom he interviewed on "Social Media and Depression," and the "Hopelessness and Helplessness on Depression."

"The teen and tween brain is rapidly developing," DeSilva said in the "Help Keep A Life" podcast. "Some of those areas are about emotional and cognitive development, which includes the ability to think in abstract ways."

DeSilva also explains that without emotional maturity, it is difficult for teenagers to dismiss the negative.

"Without emotional maturity, it makes it hard to see your self-worth," according to DeSilva.

Also interviewed are Dr. Michael Ellis, a child and adolescent psychiatrist whom Param spoke to about school, and the role it can play in suicide prevention.

Param tells Patch his podcast project is by no means complete, and the website is something he plans to maintain and grow after high school and beyond.

He said he continues to spend time researching and scheduling conversations with experts from across the nation. With every interview, the knowledge base grows.

His parents have been most supportive of his venture, he says, as has the entire faculty at Sage High School.

Though social distancing has hampered some of his goals for the year, Param hopes to speak at schools through their wellness program.

Ultimately, he hopes to become a physician.

"We can always think new thoughts," as Param says on his website. And, no matter what, he said, people should never give up but keep going, to stop suicide.

For more information, follow helpkeepalife.org and the Orange County Health Care Agency's Mental Health Support website.

SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE
Suicide Prevention Hotline provides toll-free, 24-hour, immediate, over-the-phone suicide prevention services to anyone, who is in crisis or experiencing suicidal thoughts.

If you or any loved ones are thinking about suicide, call the NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE:
(800) 273-TALK (8255)
24/7 English/Spanish crisis counselors

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