A group of Needham parents, educators and healthcare providers is launching a four-session discussion series on youth mental health, with the first meeting set for Tuesday, Oct. 20.

The group, called Rethinking Success?, formed back in 2023 out of concern over data from the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey and will hold its sessions at the Rosemary Recreation Complex, 178 Rosemary St., from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Registration is encouraged but not required.

The Oct. 20 opener, "Finding your family's path in a culture of comparison and social media," will tackle how families navigate pressure around youth sports, social media and keeping up with peers. Three more sessions follow through March.

The series arrives as Needham continues to grapple with mixed signals on student well-being. The 2025 MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey, presented to the Board of Health in June, found that depressive symptoms among secondary students dropped from more than 20% in 2023 to 15% in 2025. The survey drew 1,352 responses from high schoolers and 807 from middle schoolers.

But the same survey found that roughly 31 high school students and 23 middle school students reported having made a suicide attempt at some point in their lives. Needham Public Health epidemiologist Emily Conners, presenting those results to the Board of Health on June 26, put the numbers in perspective.

"But it's important to remember that, in both cases, this is at least a whole classroom full of students that have, in their lifetime, attempted suicide," Conners said at the meeting, as reported by the Needham Observer.

Needham Director of Health and Human Services Tim McDonald said at the same June 26 meeting that the town was working to coordinate its response. He described the challenge of balancing priorities across departments while trying to act collaboratively on youth mental health.

Rethinking Success? describes itself as a coalition of parents, educators, healthcare providers and community advocates. In its event listing, the group said it plans to research common beliefs about student success and examine whether they hold up. The group cites the 2021 MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey as its motivating data. The 2025 edition, presented to the Board of Health in June, is the most recent.

Residents can register through the group's event page on the Needham Observer or show up at the Rosemary Recreation Complex.

Upcoming sessions:

• Tuesday, Oct. 20: "Finding your family's path in a culture of comparison and social media"
• Tuesday, Nov. 17: "Dopamine and Being Overstimulated"
• Tuesday, Jan. 19: "Should we rethink success?"
• March 16: "Growing up in an affluent town"

All sessions run 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Rosemary Recreation Complex, 178 Rosemary St.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.