Six months ago, we could not have imagined that our daily vocabulary would be filled with the p-word. And while perhaps we are getting tired of hearing the word pandemic, I can't help but ask why we haven't used it to bring urgency to confronting teen suicide. The race to find a cure to the COVID-19 pandemic certainly is front and center, but that same sense of urgency does not seem to be evident for the unsettling rise in teen suicide.
In the United States, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death โ with more than 2,000 14- to 18-year-olds dying every year by suicide, and accounting for about one of every three injury-related deaths. That's the equivalent of losing a large high school's worth of teenagers to suicide, year after year. These numbers demand our attention.
New CDC data reveal that almost one in five teens across the nation have seriously considered attempting suicide. Picture a typical high school classroom of 25 students. About five of those students could be thinking about suicide.
Data come from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, which has monitored trends in youth health behaviors since 1990. According to the new report, the numbers of students who have considered attempting suicide are even higher for students identifying as female, Black, or non-heterosexual. In addition, about one in six students have made a suicide plan and slightly more than one in 10 have attempted suicide.
These numbers are scary โ and become even more alarming when we look at the data over time; trends suggest that we are facing a teen suicide pandemic. Over the past 20 years, suicide rates have skyrocketed by over 60 percent, with almost every suicide indicator and student population showing increasing trends.
Similar findings can be found as our teens continue to young adulthood. The Healthy Minds Study tracks student mental health in participating colleges and universities across the United States. Results from the most recent winter/spring survey administration of over 55,000 students indicate that slightly more than one in 10 (14 percent) experienced suicidal ideation over the past year. More than half say they somewhat to strongly needed help for emotional or mental problems, yet 9 percent said they would not talk to anyone if they were experiencing serious emotional distress. In a lecture hall of 50 college students, this means that about seven of them may have considered suicide this past year, and five of them would not talk to anyone about their distress.
In his New York Times piece, "Why Are Young Americans Killing Themselves?", Dr. Richard Friedman questions how the high rates of teen depression and suicide are even possible given that proven solutions are readily available. We aren't entirely clear on why this is the case, but all of us must take part in a comprehensive approach to prevent, recognize, and respond to this crisis:
- Prevent. Create a physically and emotionally safe environment for your teens so that thoughts and behaviors about suicide are less likely to happen in the first place. When teens and those around them have the necessary skills to regulate their emotions, and have opportunities to practice these skills and connect with others through positive relationships, we create a safer environment. Through suicide prevention efforts, we can reduce risk and promote resilience and coping.
- Recognize. Be aware of the warning signs of youth suicide. Learning the signs and taking part in mental health awareness campaigns is important, as is ensuring that teens have open channels for talking about their emotions. Actions such as these will help us recognize when something is off, while reducing any stigma around seeking help for mental health issues. Every young person needs someone to confide in about their thoughts and feelings.
- Respond. Learn to be comfortable supporting those who appear emotionally distressed. #BeThe1To offers five action steps for communicating with someone who may be considering suicide: (1) ask in a non-judgmental and supportive way; (2) be there so they feel connected; (3) keep them safe; (4) help them connect to supports; and (5) follow up to see how they are doing. Respond is also about putting additional strategies in place, such as increased regular mental health check-ins, during times of increased stress and reduced coping.
Every September brings National Suicide Prevention Month. What if each of us uses this year to take action in confronting the data on suicide? Unlike COVID-19, we already know the solution to prevent, recognize, and respond to teen suicide.
If you or someone you know is showing warning sides of suicide risk, reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK or at suicidepreventionlifeline.org. You can also reach out to Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.
About The Author
Sandra M. Chafouleas, Ph.D., is a Distinguished Professor in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut.
Reader Comments
Instead of what kids admit to thinking, they should be focusing on / discussing ACTUAL suicides*. Focusing on thoughts that are part of free will in every competent person ain't ever going to be as effective as focusing on actions taken.
R.C.
*And actual suicide attempts? (Which are clearly 'actions') Maybe, but it's always struck me that it would almost be impossible for a competent person to fail at suicide - thus > 95% of such are 'cries for help' rather than serious attempts - and that's even if no firearms were available. (E.g., Anyone can climb a building or a tree and jump, etc., etc.) That is to say, I agree that any suicide 'attempts' are actions deserving of instant concern amongst those concerned and must be dealt with - but, IMHO, government would be better focusing on actual suicides. To focus on suicidal ideation, as it's called, seems as likely to yield success as has been the focus on C-1984 'infections' rather than deaths.
I'd likewise guess that historically, governmental 'suicide prevention programs' probably have a typical government program fail rate, like all other things government does.
RC
@R.C.:
We do not have free will, we have to develop it. The place where we have to do this (here, earth, now) is horrifying. We struggle. We even die. It is difficult.
The completely logical, 'scientific' (so-called) mind does not have free will. It never will. It is a parasite.
The government is a scientific, logical, money (numbers)-oriented operation/mind-set. Bureaucracy, technocracy, parasitism. It strives to reduce the horror and struggle by eliminating our (citizen) attempts at (and natural desire or drive for) free will. It succeeds only in increasing the horror. This makes the government a lot of money, which it uses to increase govdrnment. Which doubles down the amount of horror, yet again.
They (goverment) killed Jesus, didn't they? And who else of note?? Duh.
It (our form of government) is pretty bad, really. Really awful. Pure bullshit, devoid of truth and life. Satanic without God. Call me on the phone, that'll help. Yeah, right. Sure. Number, please.
Our other avenues to free will are horrifying too (just ask Jesus, not Billy G.), but not as bad as government--a total dead end. Except for the creation of zombies and their imagined masters on a lifeless technocrat's dildo planet...totally logical, really. The final solution. Mass production and infinite dollars! Billy G.! Billy G.!
How many times must I say this?
Poor kids. Poor, brutalized by government teen-agers.
Fucking telephones and computers, en masse. Zero individuality. Rules and regulations. Families destroyed again and again and again.
How stupid is everybody?
Except for you.
Jk.
Gotta go.
ned,
out
To be honest I am just past 50 and I have thought about it in times past but also realized it must take some extraordinary courage to actually do the deed no matter how dire your position is in life..
..now, in order to summon up that courage/strength to follow through.., one could just as well use that courage to overcome ones's detriment, not so? But who am I to say, everyone have a different experience and feel pain differently. I will never judge a person taking his/her own life, that is not my domain.
I instinctively worried that I would get grief about 'minimizing the tragedy of suicide' when that was the furthest thing from my point. As far as we understand it, what we call 'animals'* NEVER have to face the issue of their own mortality - they either survive it or not. Meanwhile, we humans, as an inescapable part of that thing we call 'free will' are required to be so aware. (When we're not, the law has a term for it: 'incompetent'.)
I'm proud to see that such fears were ungrounded - I never should have worried about them; this is SOTT after all.
R.C.
*Strange because, as I recall, 'anima' means spirit.
rc
But it's all very mundane and clear. People just need people. To care about them, understand them, etc.
That's how they find meaning, everything else gets boring.
When I hear 'it's magic', I think of this, even if that exact verse might not be here: [Link]
RC
And those are what, drugs?
They need to stop worrying about the future, except what they can control for themselves or improve for themselves.
They may also need variety. Do not consume or intake a mind-altering drug all day. Lay aside technology from time to time, maybe even most of the time.
Instead of movies and television, read. Books create all of the emotion of movies, and they're better. There's also the knowledge in other sorts of books, if that convinces them.
Pot nowadays ain't pot, it's worse. Also, books require one to stimulate one's own imagination's imaging software, unlike modern movies and video games, etc.
Ever read Barbusse Under Fire (WWI Novel published in 1916 way before "All Quiet"? GREAT! ) Free at: [Link]
RC