Suicide and depression amongst adolescents is no small matter. According to senior Michelle Waddell, co-director of Uncle Joe’s Peer Counseling and Resources Center, each semester sees two to three Washington University students in Barnes-Jewish Hospital for suicide attempts.

The Amateurs responded with singing their versions of “Hey There Delilah,” “Feeling the Same Way” and finishing off with the upbeat song “Get Ready.”

With energetic and harmonic voices, the a cappella group donated their time and talent toward raising awareness of adolescent depression and suicide.

The Amateurs were one of eight groups made up of over 150 students who performed at the third Annual Communities Healing Adolescent Depression and Suicide (CHADS) Coalition Benefit Christmas Concert on December 1.

“It’s great when you can do something you love and help people; it’s the best of both worlds,” said junior Laura Cobb of the Amateurs.

“It’s a great cause,” agreed junior Tim Trinidad, the Amateurs’ group coordinator. “They wanted us to sing and we wanted to do it.”

All of the proceeds from this concert, as well as those from a second concert on December 7, will go toward funding research on adolescent depression and suicide in the St. Louis area, as well as suicide prevention programs in local middle and high schools, according to organizers.

The Boemler Chevrolet company covered all concert costs, and the Amateurs were not paid. As of press time, the amount raised was unknown.

“We had a couple hundred audience members and lots of donations,” said Katie Kempf, an organizer at CHADS coalition.

CHADS Coalition was founded in 2005 after namesake Chad McCord, who took his life when he was 18 years old. Chad, diagnosed with depression in October 2003, was an Eagle Scout who wanted to raise awareness of mental illness-especially mental illness that goes unreported. The organization was founded by his parents.

The first concert in 2005 with an adult group began after a member of the McCords’ church asked if they could perform a benefit concert. Since then, student and youth groups such as the Amateurs have gotten involved.

“We love it,” said Kempf. “[The Amateurs] definitely jumped at the opportunity to help.”

CHADS Coalition and the University have had a historical relationship with alumni on the board and Medical School researchers receiving funding.

“The Board of Directors recently voted to spend $80,000 to support research on early-onset mood disorder and suicide,” said CHADS founder and co-president Marian McCord. “Historically, Wash. U. has received all of our grants.”

This chain that links community members throughout the University has been extended as undergraduates join the cause.

“We’re really happy to support our own university doing great things,” said Cobb.

Dr. Kelly Botteron, an associate professor of psychiatry at the Medical School is one of the researchers benefiting from CHADS support.

“We do neuro-imaging studies with structural MRI and characterize how the insular cortex and ventral medial prefrontal cortex, which help people assign emotional valence to events, develop in children and adolescents,” said Botteron.

Awareness efforts, according to Botteron, are key as adolescent suicide and depression remains an under-recognized yet important health issue.

“For adolescents, the annual number of deaths from suicide outnumber the deaths from common pediatric diseases such as asthma, diabetes and cancer when they are added together,” said Botteron. “They’re [CHADS] helping to increase communication in the community and decrease stigma associated with the topic of suicide and depression among teenagers.”

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