No one ever thinks a child as young as kindergarten could have problems with depression, but the reality is they can.

Bringing mental health issues out of the shadows and encouraging families to talk about it is one of the goals of the organization Minding Your Mind based in Philadelphia. Two of their representatives, Sheila Gillin, a licensed social worker and certified child and adolescent psychotherapist, and Drew Bergman, director of development, gave a talk recently, titled “Just Talk About It,” to educators and community members at St. Luke’s University Health Network in Bethlehem. The goal was to shed light on mental health and behavioral issues that can begin in childhood and continue into adolescences and adulthood.

“Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people 15 to 24 years old,” Gillin said. “Talk about your family history of mental illness, talk to your kids about that.”

Although the first leading cause of death is vehicle accidents, there’s no way of knowing for sure if it was accidental or on purpose, since most crashes occur when the person is alone, she said.

The main reason why suicides occur is because depression was left untreated, Gillin said.

“Only three out of 10 people needing help seek it,” said Bergman, who began experiencing depression as an adolescent.

Bergman said his depression began after his parents decided to get a divorce, but the seeds were there earlier.

Although appearing perfect on the outside, the marriage had been rocky for many years, and his father had a problem with alcohol. Still, his parents stayed together and tried to provide a stable home. That was until his father crashed his car while intoxicated with his sister in it. After that, his mother decided the safe environment reason wasn’t there and pursued a divorce.

In the following years, both his older brother and sister had issues from drug addiction to an eating disorder. Bergman tried to kill himself at the age of 12.

“I had never been educated about what mental health was. We never talked about that anxiety and depression ran in my family,” he said. “We cannot control our genetic predispositions. I thought it was my fault that I was depressed.”

Bergman was diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder. He said the loss of structure in his life is what exacerbated an already present genetic disposition to mental health issues.

He said depression is like looking at life through a straw. The person doesn’t see the big picture. Suicide seemed like a way to spare his family of his problems.

It wasn’t until his second attempt at age 16 that he saw the pain in his mother’s eyes while he lay in the hospital. He realized he was hurting her.

“I thought my suicide would only impact me and would make everyone else’s life better,” he said.

While in the psychiatric ward at the hospital, he went to teen group therapy.

“It was a room full of kids like me. Mental health issues can impact anyone,” he said. “This recovery isn’t just about what I did then, but what I do every day. The day I opened up about what I went through is the day I really began to heal.”

Bergman said he shares his story because he wants people in the depths of depression to know that “no matter how hard things seem in the moment, step back and take a look around.” Find help. For those on the outside, help them find help.

Gillin and Bergman both wanted to make sure that if those in attendance didn’t remember anything else, they remembered these two points.

First, encourage young people who could be at risk of hurting themselves to choose one to three adults they trust to talk to if they are in a mental health crisis. The person doesn’t have to be a parent. He or she could be a coach, teacher or counselor. Bergman said his high school guidance counselor was his lifesaver.

And second, help them to develop three to five positive coping skills.

Karlee Farrar, an educator who attended the talk, summed up the root to helping youth handle a mental issue.

“It starts at home. You need to talk about it at home.”