What do you think is the best approach to teen suicide...public talk or private concern?

One-in-five teens considered suicide last year, and many didn't speak a word. Is there anything more dispiriting than a young person who takes their life out of despair? A popular new TV series claims to shine a light on it. Is it helpful enlightenment or dangerous glamorization?
What do you think is the best approach to teen suicide...public talk or private concern?
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A new Netflix TV show, "13 Reasons Why," has become a runaway hit in the past month. It's the story of a high school girl who takes her own life. Not only does it tackle a taboo topic - suicide - in a very graphic way, it gets into some troubling subject matter: cyberbullying, sexual harassment, date rape, and drug use.

Intense stuff that's being gobbled up by teenagers and provoking strong reactions. It's been tweeted about over eleven million times in it's first month of release. Schools across Canada have been sending letters home warning parents about the graphic nature of "13 Reasons Why." One Alberta middle-school banned students from mentioning the show on school grounds. The show is also controversial amongst mental health advocates. Some worry it glamourizes suicidal behaviour, others say it's a brave attempt to tackle a topic not talked about enough.

What do you think? Have you watched the show? Why or why not? Do you think it helps kick start a valuable conversation that could help students struggling with mental health issues? Or do you fear it might push students with issues over the edge?

It's important to remember suicide is rare. The suicide rate is about 10 per 100,000 people in Canada. But one-in-five Canadian teens say they considered suicide last year and half didn't speak a word to anyone. And rates of suicide are on the rise amongst teen girls and young women. Alarmingly high amongst Indigenous women.

Our question: What do you think is the best approach to teen suicide? Public talk or private concern?