Mental health experts in Montana are alerting parents and educators about a concerning phrase students have been using for nearly a decade: the "back-to-school necklace." The term has nothing to do with jewelry or fashion — instead, it's a coded reference to suicidal thoughts that children use when struggling with severe anxiety about returning to school.
"The 'back-to-school necklace' ... It's been trending for about 10 years. We hear about it every year," said Beth Price Morrison, substance abuse prevention program manager at Alliance For Youth. The phrase symbolically references a noose and indicates suicidal ideation. When children express excitement about getting their "back-to-school necklace," they're actually signaling emotional distress and need immediate attention from adults.
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"If you hear a child say something along the lines of, I can't wait to get my 'back-to-school necklace', that means they're struggling and is something you need to pay attention to," Morrison said.
The warning comes as mental health issues among students reach unprecedented levels.
Andrea Savage, a student mental health coordinator for Great Falls Public School District, reports that mental health concerns are "at an all-time high." The district has about 38% of students presenting with anxiety, according to their latest Youth Risk Behavioral Survey.
"The 'back-to-school necklace' term comes from the fact that you have this incredible debilitating anxiety or depression or maybe feelings that you really can't label and it becomes so incredibly heavy that it feels hard to move on," Savage said.
About 34% of Montana youth aged 12 to 18 struggle with mental illness, while 25% have considered suicide. Approximately 20% have made a suicide plan, and nearly 11% have attempted suicide.
Great Falls Public Schools has implemented screenings for sixth graders to identify depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation.
The district employs seven therapists working within schools and has launched a peer mentoring program called "Lift," training students in QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) techniques to help their classmates.
"Kids are more apt to go talk to their friends and their peers than they are to come to adults," Savage said.
The program has shown remarkable results. In one class of 35 peer mentors, students made 52 contacts with peers about mental health concerns, reached out to 66 students they were worried about, and made 25 referrals to counselors or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Mental health experts emphasize the importance of listening carefully to children's language and taking unusual phrases seriously.
"It's not the only thing they might say, but it is ... definitely something ... if something sounds kind of off, kind of odd of 'oh, that's an odd turn of phrase', maybe ask your kid what they meant," Morrison said.
Parents and educators who are concerned about a child can contact school counselors or psychologists. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 for immediate help.
"It's really important that you talk to the child. But if you're worried about how do I even approach this, call that 988 number. They can talk you through a lot of this stuff," Morrison said.
Experts recommend that parents and teachers check in with children regularly, especially during the back-to-school transition period when anxiety levels typically spike.
"It's just important for people to understand. If you hear something that makes you pause, don't ignore it, lean into it, ask the question," Morrison said.
