Suicide Prevention Specialist Hosts Year 11 and 13 Seminars

Truro School welcomed Jamie Karl Coupe, a Suicide Prevention and Masculine Mental Health Specialist who works on the front line of youth mental health in the UK, to lead seminars for Year 11 pupils and Year 13 students. The sessions addressed teen suicide and the mental health challenges facing young people, an issue that affects young men in particular, with suicide remaining the leading cause of death among them and stigma still preventing many from seeking help.

Jamie opened by asking his audience to imagine a world with zero suicide, before sharing his own personal experience. He explored how things that look like achievements from the outside, such as strong grades, a place at a great school or an offer from a top university, can feel like pressure to the person living them. He introduced key triggers to be aware of, like being of being hungry, angry, lonely and tired (HALT), and compared helpful and unhelpful coping strategies, which include screens, social media and vaping.

He also explained the two main types of depression and what their symptoms can look like, explaining how many of them mirror the ordinary experience of being an adolescent, which makes the signs hard to spot.

His message was that every young person should feel able to share their own struggles without stigma and to look out for friends who may need more support, so that no one struggles in silence.

The seminars were put in place following updated statutory guidance on Relationships, Sex and Health Education (RSHE), which came into effect in September 2026, and sit within a whole-school approach to wellbeing, built on our Know, Challenge and Empower ethos. Pupils benefit from our carefully constructed Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) programme, outstanding pastoral support, mentoring such as the ACHE (Advice, Care, Help, and Empathy) peer mentoring scheme, and regular information sessions for parents and carers, including the recent Online Safety talks held at Prep. A new wellbeing centre will open at Truro School in 2027, creating a dedicated space for support across the school.

This input can matter most at transition points and in GCSE and A-Level exam years, when pressures can feel greater. At Truro School, staff are always ready to listen; a number of teaching and non-teaching staff have recently completed ASSIST and Mental Health First Aid courses. Their orange buttons show they have had additional training in this area.

We are very grateful to Jamie for sharing his story so openly, and for the honesty and candidness he brought to these important sessions. To find out more about his work, visit www.jamiekarlcoupe.com.

Any pupil or student who would like to talk can speak to their tutor, Head of Year, our School Chaplain, an ACHE mentor or any member of staff. Parents and carers who have concerns about their child are warmly encouraged to get in touch with the school.