A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows a dramatic increase in suicide risk among American teenagers, especially teenage girls.

The report is based on the CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), which is conducted every two years, most recently in 2021. The 2021 survey found that almost 60% of female high school students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, the highest level found over the last decade, and that 10% had attempted suicide. The numbers were even more stark among students who identified as LGBTQ+, at 70% and 20% respectively.

By comparison, 29% of high school boys reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in 2021, up from 21% in 2011.

“High school should be a time for trailblazing, not trauma,” Dr. Debra Houry, the CDC’s chief medical officer, told USA Today. “These data show our kids need far more support to cope, hope and thrive.”

These findings highlight the increased need for teen suicide prevention

Unfortunately, when teens express feelings of suicidality or even outright say they’re considering suicide, they are often dismissed as just wanting attention. Nothing could be further from the truth. As the CDC’s findings show, suicidality is a real risk among our youth, especially girls and LGBTQ youth. Indeed, suicide is the second-leading cause of death among children aged 10-14 and the third-leading cause of death among people aged 15-24, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

It’s critical for parents, teachers, administrators, and other adults to know the warning signs of suicide risk in youth, which include:

• Talking or writing about death
• Expressing feeling “trapped” with no way out
• Giving away prized possessions
• Drug or alcohol use
• Self-harm
• Risk-taking behavior
• Significant mood changes
• Delusions or hallucinations

Adults need to be on the lookout for these and other warning signs in teenagers, particularly after a triggering event such as loss of a friend or family member, relationship breakup, bullying at school, or experience of abuse or discrimination. Just as importantly, responsible adults need to know how to intervene, which may include:

• Listening empathetically to the at-risk youth.
• Acknowledging and validating their feelings.
• Directly asking “are you considering suicide?” or “are you thinking about hurting yourself?”
• Removing lethal means such as weapons and medications.
• Telling another adult immediately and seeking appropriate professional help.
• Referring the at-risk youth to appropriate mental health services and following through.
• The best training for adults interacting with teens or anyone at risk for suicide is to contact the QPR Institute for a course on becoming a gatekeeper as an important step for suicide prevention.

The current increase in youth suicide risk is alarming, but it is not irreversible. Professionals who work with at-risk youth, from educators to medical professionals, need to be aware of the risks and proactively intervene.

We fight for accountability and justice for families

Part of the fight to eliminate youth suicide is the need for accountability for medical professionals who do not meet standards of care in treating at-risk youth. Our law firm fights for families who have lost loved ones to preventable suicide.

If you have lost a loved one to suicide completion, the Law Offices of Skip Simpson would be honored to explain your legal rights and options. We’re based in Texas but serve families throughout the United States.

Taking a closer look at approaches to help students who struggle with suicidality

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among college students nationwide, ranking only behind accidental deaths (including both motor vehicle and non-motor vehicle accidents).

And the current generation of college students may be at an even greater risk than their predecessors, thanks to the lingering mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. As we wrote last year, there has been a highly concerning uptick in suicidality on college campuses across the United States.

College students do have access to campus mental health services to help reduce suicide risk, but every student responds to treatment differently. An innovative new study is investigating adaptive, targeted strategies to better treat college students and prevent suicide.

Breaking down the CAMPUS trial

The Comprehensive Adaptive Multisite Prevention of University Student Suicide (CAMPUS) trial is a large-scale, multi-site controlled trial funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Four universities are participating in the trial: Duke University in North Carolina, Rutgers University in New Jersey, University of Nevada-Reno, and the University of Oregon.

According to Dr. Scott Compton, the lead investigator for the Duke University arm of the trial, “Providers at college counseling centers have little empirical evidence to guide them about what treatments work best to address college student suicidal risk, and perhaps of equal importance, what treatment to provide next for those students who show little benefit from an initial course of care.” Dr. Compton explains that the goal of the trial is to shed light on these issues and provide better clinical guidelines to manage student suicide risk.

The trial divides treatment into two stages. Stage 1 will randomize students into either a suicide-focused treatment (Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality, or CAMS) or treatment as usual and assess to see whether the student responds well. Those who don’t respond well to Stage 1 will be re-randomized into either CAMS or Counseling Center Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). The goal is to understand which combination of treatments provides the best reduction in suicide risk at the end of treatment and at a three-month follow-up, especially among the critical group of students who do not respond well to initial treatment.

The study is an important step to identify suicide prevention strategies for college students

Central to the purpose of the CAMPUS study is the underlying truth that suicide is preventable. With the right mental health interventions and ongoing support, college students can be protected from the risk of dying by suicide. Identifying what those strategies are is an ongoing process, as suicidality is highly personal and individual.

Just as important, however, is the need for mental health professionals to actually follow standards of care and provide quality treatment to those who are at risk of suicide. Mental health treatment settings need to stay abreast of suicide prevention techniques and implement those techniques to better serve their patients. When they fall short of that responsibility, they must be held accountable.

Our law firm fights for families who have lost loved ones

As studies like the CAMPUS trial look for more effective ways to prevent suicide, it’s critical that medical professionals are held accountable when they fail to follow the currently accepted best practices in suicide prevention and mental health care. If you have lost a loved one to suicide completion, the Law Offices of Skip Simpson would be honored to listen to your story and explain your rights and options. We are based in Texas but serve families nationwide. Schedule your free consultation today.

Drugs and alcohol are closely associated with suicide risk

By now, it’s a well-known and well-studied fact that alcohol and drugs are linked to suicide risk. According to various studies:

• Alcohol intoxication is a factor in 22 percent of suicide deaths and between 30 and 40 percent of suicide attempts, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
• A 2020 study found that substance use disorders (SUDs) are associated with a high risk of suicide mortality, especially in women, and especially among people who have multiple SUDs.
• A 2021 study found that alcohol can increase maladaptive coping behaviors and weaken self-regulation, which increases suicide risk. The same study also found that opioid use causes neurobiological changes that increase suicide risk.
• Lower minimum drinking age laws are associated with an increased risk of youth suicide, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

It’s important to note that people with substance use disorders frequently have other medical conditions (such as depression) and life circumstances (such as family difficulties or financial problems) that also contribute to suicide risk. However, research has found a link between substance abuse and suicide that cannot be explained by those other factors. As such, suicide prevention efforts must take the risks associated with substance abuse into account.

Substance abuse treatment settings need to play a role in suicide prevention

Like any other profession or service that works with a population that is prone to suicide, substance abuse treatment settings need to make suicide prevention the top priority. Some of the steps that substance abuse treatment centers and agencies need to take include:

• Training staff and volunteers on suicide prevention, including a culture of safety and environmental safety.
• Conducting regular screenings for suicide risk.
• Following lethal means safety best practices in physical treatment locations.
• Preparing treatment plans that address the elevated suicide risk that comes with substance abuse.
• Communicating with other care providers, community resources, and family members to ensure continuity of care and make sure suicide risks do not fly under the radar.
• Referring substance abuse patients to appropriate suicide prevention resources, from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to inpatient services, as appropriate.

These guidelines don’t just apply to substance abuse treatment centers, but also to all care settings that work with people who are struggling with substance abuse, from hospitals to mental health clinics. Medical professionals need to be mindful of suicide risk at all times when treating patients who struggle with substance use disorders. It’s part of their obligation to meet standards of care and keep patients safe.

Suicide prevention and substance abuse treatment go hand in hand

As the United States continues to struggle with the opioid crisis in addition to alcoholism and other substance abuse disorders, suicide prevention and substance abuse treatment efforts need to be coordinated to keep patients and the public safe. Part of that effort is seeking accountability for medical providers who do not meet standards of care and put patients at risk of dying by suicide.

If you lost a loved one to suicide completion, we would be honored to listen to your story and explain your options to pursue justice. Schedule your free consultation with the Law Offices of Skip Simpson. We are based in Texas and serve families nationwide.

The findings highlight the complex relationship between race and suicide.

It’s well-known that White Americans (particularly White men) have higher suicide rates than Black and Hispanic Americans, but a new report indicates that this gap may be closing.

The report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) looked at the three most commonly used suicide methods: firearms, suffocation (which includes hanging), and poison. Researchers found that after peaking in 2018, suicide rates among non-Hispanic White Americans declined by 2020, from 18.1 suicide deaths per 100,000 people in 2018 to 16.9 per 100,000 in 2020. On the other hand, suicide rates among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black Americans increased significantly in 2020, to 7.5 per 100,000 and 7.8 per 100,000, respectively.

While the suicide rate among White Americans is still significantly higher — and preliminary 2021 data suggests that this decline may be temporary — it’s still a data point that highlights the complex and shifting relationship between race and suicide.

Why do suicide rates vary by race?

Although racial disparities in suicide rates have been known for some time, the reasons for this relationship are not always clear. What is clear is that no demographic is intrinsically more vulnerable to dying by suicide than any other; rather, differences in suicide rates are most likely caused by differences in societal expectations and cultural and environmental factors. If White men make up a disproportionate percentage of suicide deaths (as they do), then there must be some environmental factor or combination of factors that disproportionately puts them at risk.

A 2017 article in the Yale Global Health Review identified several key suicide risk factors that may explain some of the disparities in suicide rates:

• Social isolation: as became painfully clear during the COVID-19 pandemic, social isolation substantially increases suicidality.
• Housing instability: having a sense of belonging in a place is foundational to good mental health, so people who don’t have a stable residence are at a significant disadvantage.
• Unemployment: long-term unemployment can be devastating to mental health due to loss of structure in the day, financial struggles, and a loss of self-worth.
• Access to firearms: as we’ve written before, firearm access has a dramatic effect on deaths by suicide because guns are much deadlier than other commonly used suicide methods.

The more recent increase in suicide rates among people of color is likewise complicated to explain. An increase in online racism in the wake of the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in 2020 may be a factor, as we’ve discussed before. And while the COVID-19 pandemic affected everyone, communities of color were disproportionately impacted as well.

Suicide prevention needs to take into account a full range of risk factors.

While more research is certainly needed to understand the cause of disparities in suicide rates, what’s clear is that broad societal factors have a significant impact on suicide risk. There are larger issues that need to be addressed at the local, state, and national levels, including a sense of social connectedness and access to mental health and suicide prevention resources. There is also a need for individual medical and mental health providers to recognize the risk factors and meet standards of care when treating patients at risk of suicide.

Suicide doesn’t discriminate; it affects people and families from all walks of life. If you lost a loved one to suicide and suspect medical negligence may be a factor, we would be honored to evaluate the circumstances and give you our opinion. Contact the Law Offices of Skip Simpson for a free, confidential consultation. We’re based in Texas and serve families nationwide.

Understanding the possible connection between stopping medication and suicide risk

A recent case report published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology is the first known report of antidepressant discontinuation syndrome (ADS) and a suicide attempt.

The patient in question was a 22-year-old woman with a history of major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), alcohol use disorder (AUD), and anorexia nervosa (AN). She had been taking escitalopram, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) best known by the brand name Lexapro, for two years, before discontinuing the medication seven days before the suicide attempt.

While this is the first known, documented instance of an actual suicide attempt related to discontinuing antidepressants, previous studies have shown a link between ADS and suicidal ideation. More research is needed, but there is enough evidence to raise red flags that discontinuing antidepressants may increase the risk of suicide.

What is antidepressant discontinuation syndrome?

Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome (ADS), sometimes called antidepressant withdrawal, is a medical condition that occurs in people who stop taking an antidepressant after continuously using it for at least a month. The risk is higher for those who have been taking the medication for longer, and it can be reduced but not eliminated by tapering — that is, slowly reducing the dosage of the medication instead of stopping it all at once. Symptoms of ADS can include:

• Flu-like symptoms (nausea, vomiting, headaches, sweating).
• Sleep disturbances, such as insomnia and nightmares.
• Sensory and movement disturbances, such as tremors and vertigo.
• Mood disturbances, such as anxiety and agitation.
• In rare instances, acute psychosis.

ADS is usually mild, with symptoms ending in one to four weeks. However, especially in patients already at elevated risk of suicide, there is a risk of much more severe consequences, including increased suicidality.

Doctors need to be aware of suicide risk and monitor patients appropriately.

ADS is just one example of a condition that may put a patient at an elevated risk of suicide during treatment. Other high-risk moments include medication changes more broadly, transitions from inpatient to outpatient care, and discharges from a psychiatric hospital or emergency room when mental health has been evaluated. In these situations, medical professionals need to be aware of the elevated risk of suicide and respond appropriately. That may include proactively scheduling follow-up appointments and check-ins, ensuring that patients have support resources in place, and communicating thoroughly during discharges and transitions to ensure that the patient doesn’t slip through the cracks.

Unfortunately, when medical professionals do not meet this standard of care, preventable tragedies can occur. If you lost a loved one to death by suicide, we would be honored to listen to your story and explain your rights and options. Our conversation is confidential, and there is no obligation, just answers. Contact the Law Offices of Skip Simpson for a free consultation. We’re based in Texas and represent families throughout the United States.

A surprising medication may have a role to play in suicide prevention

A recent study has shown a surprising conclusion: people who take folic acid supplements may be at reduced risk of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts.

That’s according to researchers at the University of Chicago, who first became aware of a possible connection when a previous study looked at the effects of 922 medications on suicide risk. Most of the medications that were found to affect suicidality were what the researchers expected: antidepressants, antipsychotics, and so on. But surprisingly, folic acid (vitamin B9) also popped up in the study as a medication associated with reduced suicide risk.

“When we first saw this result, we thought it was pregnancy. Pregnant women take folic acid, and pregnant women tend to have a low suicide rate, so it’s just a false association. So, we just did a quick analysis to restrict it to men. But we saw exactly the same effect in men,” said Dr. Robert Gibbons, lead author of the study. After controlling for confounding factors, such as age, gender, other medications, and mental health conditions, the link between folic acid and reduced suicide attempts persisted.

The researchers also speculated that people who take a vitamin supplement might be trying to improve their health, and perhaps that means they’re less likely to be suicidal. But when they looked at another vitamin supplement, B12, they found no correlation — there really does seem to be something unique to folic acid.

The study results highlight the reality that suicide is preventable.

It’s important not to make too much of these results. This is only a single study, and while that study found a correlation, there is still no proof of a causal relationship between folic acid and reduced risk of suicide. More research needs to be done to determine whether folic acid is an effective suicide prevention tool.

However, this study drives home the point that suicidality is a medical condition like any other, and it can be treated with appropriate interventions. Medication is one piece of the puzzle, as is therapy and proper mental health care, including competent patient monitoring and frequency of visits.

People at risk of suicide need access to resources when they are most in danger and ongoing support from family, friends, and healthcare providers. Suicide is a preventable tragedy.

If you lost a loved one to suicide, we can fight for accountability.

There are many interventions that we know help to prevent suicide: therapy, support from loved ones, medication, mental health treatment, and, when necessary, inpatient treatment.

Physicians and other healthcare providers need to follow standards of care and take immediate action to protect patients at risk of suicide. When they do not, lives are put at risk — and accountability must be pursued.

If you have lost a loved one to suicide, we would be honored to listen to your story and explain your legal rights and options. Our conversation is confidential, and there is no obligation, just answers. Contact the Law Offices of Skip Simpson for a free consultation. We’re based in Texas and represent families throughout the United States.

How friends, family, and care providers should communicate with someone who may be suicidal

As Suicide Prevention Month comes to a close, it’s important to take a moment to reflect on what we all can do to protect our loved ones and people in our care from suicide. These five steps can make all the difference when it comes to speaking to someone who may be at risk of suicide.

Step 1: Ask – and listen to the answer

One of the most persistent myths about suicide is that bringing up the topic can actually push someone toward suicide. There is no evidence this is true. It’s important to name the issue and ask directly: “are you thinking about suicide?” Frame the question in a non-judgmental way to start an effective and potentially life-saving dialogue. (Remember, though, that you should never promise to keep their thoughts of suicide a secret – that’s a secret that you simply cannot keep if they are in danger.)

Then, listen to the answer. Take what they say seriously, focusing on the reasons they feel this way. Remember, the suicidal mind is deeply ambivalent; people who have thoughts of suicide also have strong reasons to go on living. The best way to respond is to emphasize and reinforce their reasons to go on living, not to impose someone else’s reasons on them.

Step 2: Be there for them

A significant reason people become suicidal is feelings of isolation. The way to combat isolation is with connectedness; ideally, that means physical presence, but speaking with someone on the phone or staying in contact with them in other ways is helpful too. The key is the follow-through: don’t commit to actions you can’t accomplish. Instead, help to connect the suicidal person with the resources they need.

Feeling connected to others is critical not just to lower feelings of suicidality in general but specifically to stop thoughts of suicide from escalating to action. Research has shown that connectedness is a key protective factor to avoid escalation and to guard against hopelessness.

Step 3: Put immediate safety first

If someone is at immediate risk of a suicide attempt, then their short-term safety has to be the top priority. Have they already attempted suicide? Do they have a specific plan to do so? If so, what’s the timing and method? Do they have access to their planned method? If the answer to most of those questions is “yes,” then immediate intervention is needed, such as calling for emergency services or, with their calm agreement, taking them to the emergency room. Exercise caution if you are taking an “at risk for suicide person” to the emergency room. It is possible the suicidal patient may, en route, have a change of heart, deciding they don’t want to go to the emergency room. The person may become combative or leap from the car.

The goal at this stage is to put as much distance as possible between the at-risk person and their chosen suicide method, especially if they have chosen a particularly lethal method. (As we’ve discussed previously, this is why access to firearms is such a critical factor.) The idea that once someone has a plan and they’ll just come up with a new plan is another myth; research has shown that if you can put safety measures in place to prevent an individual suicide attempt, you dramatically increase the chances of long-term survival.

Step 4: Connect with ongoing supports

Once a person’s immediate suicide risk is addressed, the next step is to connect them with ongoing support. That includes a safety plan: what will they do if they feel suicidal again? The 988 Lifeline is one such resource, along with local mental health resources and friends and family who can be contacted in a crisis.

It also includes finding ongoing resources, whether that’s a mental health professional, peer support, or community or spiritual resources. The key is to ensure that the at-risk person has access to resources who are trained and experienced in suicide prevention.

Step 5: The follow-up

The research is clear that following up with suicidal people after acute care is finished significantly reduces the risk of suicide. It’s important to check in, see how the person is doing, and ask if there is more you can do to help. Again, the key is maintaining that feeling of connectedness.

We all have a responsibility to do what we can to protect the people in our lives from suicide. The greatest responsibility, however, falls on medical professionals and mental health professionals who care for people at risk of suicide. If you lost a loved one to suicide completion, we would be honored to listen to your story and pursue accountability. Contact the Law Offices of Skip Simpson today for a free consultation. We’re based in Texas and serve families throughout the United States.

A growing tragedy for our most vulnerable youth

LGBTQ youth have long been known to be at elevated risk of suicide, but recent research indicates a disturbing trend: that risk is getting even worse.

According to a survey published by the Trevor Project, an LGBTQ youth mental health nonprofit, 45% of young LGBTQ people seriously considered attempting suicide in 2021. Furthermore, the organization notes that this is the third consecutive year this figure has increased — a trend that notably predates the COVID-19 pandemic.

The organization surveyed nearly 34,000 LGBTQ people between ages 13 and 24 across the United States. The organization found that the highest rates of suicidality were among transgender and non-binary youth as well as Native/Indigenous youth, Black youth, and multiracial youth.

“We must recognize that LGBTQ young people face stressors simply for being who they are that their peers never have to worry about,” CEO and executive director of the Trevor Project Amit Paley said in a statement. The organization noted that there is nothing intrinsic to LGBTQ people that makes them more at risk of suicide; rather, the problem is the stigma and mistreatment they face at home, at school, and in society.

The findings show that suicide prevention must be inclusive.

The research highlights the need for affirming and inclusive suicide prevention. Public health initiatives that aim to reduce suicide risk must allow youth to “participate in treatment as their full selves,” as the Trevor Project researchers put it. In addition, suicide risk assessments must screen for trauma and consider the demonstrably higher risk among LGBTQ youth with a history of trauma.

More broadly, these findings highlight the critical importance of safe, secure, and supportive environments for LGBTQ youth, both to reduce suicide risk and improve mental health more generally. In safe, accepting communities, the number of suicide attempts among LGBTQ youth is significantly lower. Unfortunately, nearly 40% of LGBTQ youth say they live in somewhat or very unaccepting communities, putting them at increased risk.

Another critical issue is access to mental health services for LGBTQ youth who are struggling. According to the Trevor Project survey, most LGBTQ youth struggle with symptoms of anxiety or depression, yet 60% of those who said they wanted mental health care were unable to get it.

Parents, educators, and medical professionals must take LGBTQ youth suicide risk seriously.

The Trevor Project survey is part of a large body of research that sends a clear message: affirming, including, and supporting LGBTQ youth is a matter of life and death. Parents and caregivers of LGBTQ youth need to provide a supportive environment by talking respectfully with their children about their identity, welcoming their LGBTQ friends and partners, and educating themselves about LGBTQ issues. Teachers, coaches, and other professionals who work with LGBTQ youth need to be aware of the particular challenges they face and respond in a supportive manner. And medical professionals who treat LGBTQ youth must be mindful of the elevated risk of suicide and take all necessary steps to reduce that risk.

The Law Offices of Skip Simpson is proud to stand up for families who lose children or loved ones to suicide, including members of the LGBTQ community. If you have lost a loved one to suicide completion, we would be honored to discuss your legal rights and options in a free consultation. We are based in Texas but serve families nationwide.

Youth suicide prevention has to include addressing bullying online

The connection between bullying, mental health, and suicide risk has been known for some time. In 2008, for instance, a Yale review of studies from 13 countries found that bullying was linked to suicide risk. But the link between specifically online bullying and suicide has been more difficult to pin down. Now, a recent study suggests that online bullying may pose suicide risks above and beyond offline bullying.

According to new research from the Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania, young adolescents (between ages 10 and 13) who are victims of cyberbullying are more likely to report suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. The study defined cyberbullying as “purposefully trying to harm another person or be mean to them online, in texts or group texts, or on social media (like Instagram or Snapchat).”

The same study also asked about offline bullying, which included behaviors such as threatening, hitting, being deliberately left out of activities, and spreading rumors or gossip. Notably, the researchers found that online and offline bullying only partially overlap; that is, while there are certainly some kids who are victims of both types of bullying, they are distinct behaviors — and cyberbullying itself is an independent suicide risk factor, not merely an extension of offline bullying.

Notably, the study found that while victims of cyberbullying are at an increased risk of suicidality, perpetrators of online bullying are not. This is distinct from offline bullying, where both victims and perpetrators are known to be at increased risk of suicide.

“For policy makers wishing to optimize youth suicide prevention efforts, this study should further encourage interventions for those who are being bullied online,” said senior study author Ran Barzilay, MD, Ph.D., an assistant professor at LiBI.

Black youth may be particularly at risk

Online bullying is a problem for youth of all races, but the evidence says it affects certain demographics more than others. For instance, a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychology found that over the course of 2020, Black youth experienced increases in online racial discrimination, and those experiences were linked to poorer mental health. The study’s authors noted that White nationalist and online terror groups became more active online in the wake of the killings of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and other Black Americans; that Black youth experienced more online racism during this time; and that there may be a critical period following racial discrimination experiences, as same-day and next-day mental health were particularly adversely affected.

While this study did not examine suicidality specifically, other research has shown that suicides are on the rise among Black youth, and given that we now know there is a link between cyberbullying and suicide risk, it seems likely that online racism is a contributing factor. Youth suicide prevention efforts must include training on racial trauma and targeted interventions to report and address the effects of online hate speech.

A growing potential risk in a rapidly changing world

As young adolescents spend more time online than ever before — a trend accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic — cyberbullying presents a growing threat. Unfortunately, it’s also a difficult threat to manage. While offline bullying usually ends at the end of the school day, children who are cyberbullied may feel like there is no escape; their bullies are on social media 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And adult intervention to stop cyberbullying may be more difficult: social media accounts can be hidden behind privacy settings, and adults may not be familiar enough with online norms and culture to even recognize that bullying is happening.

These problems are not unsolvable, however. Adults have a responsibility to our children to intervene and prevent cyberbullying as well as other behaviors that increase suicide risk. That starts with parents talking to their kids about what they’re experiencing online and schools enforcing anti-bullying policies on the ground and online. It also includes social media platforms, government officials, and medical professionals who screen children for suicidality or treat youth mental health issues.

More must be done to protect our youth, and that includes seeking accountability and justice when the system fails to protect a child. If you lost a child to suicide completion, the Law Offices of Skip Simpson would be honored to listen to your story in a free consultation. We are based in Texas and serve families nationwide.

The hidden impact of the pandemic on young Americans

It’s clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected most people’s mental health to one extent or another, but a recent survey sheds a light on a particularly vulnerable segment of the population: adolescents.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a national survey showed that more than four in 10 teens reported feeling “persistently sad or hopeless” in the first half of 2021, and a truly alarming one in five said they had contemplated suicide. The CDC found that the impact was disproportionately felt by female youth, LGBTQ students, and those who were treated unfairly because of their race.

The CDC attributes this mental health crisis to traumatic stressors from the pandemic that erode mental well-being.

“These data echo a cry for help,” said Debra Houry, a deputy director at the CDC.

But the survey results also offered a ray of hope: when schools are functioning at their best, they can provide that help.

Feeling connected and supported at school helps to prevent suicide

For young people who spend the majority of their waking hours at school, it’s unsurprising that there is a strong link between mental health and education. This is a self-reinforcing relationship: students with good mental health do better in school, and doing better in school improves mental health. The danger of a mental health crisis among teens is that it can become a vicious cycle, with poor mental health leading to worse school outcomes that further damage mental health. However, a safe and supportive school environment can be a bulwark against mental health problems in general and suicidality in particular.

That starts with school personnel. Teachers and school administrators can cultivate a safe and supportive environment in many ways, from better classroom management to making sure all students feel welcome regardless of gender, race, or sexual orientation. Schools that cultivate safe environments also connect students with strong support systems, including their parents, teachers, coaches, other adult caregivers, and peers.

Healthcare professionals, too, need to be aware of this growing youth mental health crisis and respond accordingly when treating young patients. That includes asking teens about their family and school relationships in routine health screenings, educating parents, and encouraging positive parenting practices. It also includes recognizing that teens are at elevated risk right now, and they need to take any warning signs of suicide seriously.

Accountability is key to helping prevent teen suicide

While the COVID-19 pandemic certainly did not help, America was facing a youth mental health crisis long before the pandemic. According to the CDC, the percentage of teens who reported “persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness” increased from 26 percent in 2009 to 37 percent in 2019. The pandemic put this in stark relief: in the realm of mental health, we are failing our youth, and much more needs to be done to promote good mental health and prevent suicide.

Part of that work is fighting for answers and accountability when young lives are cut far too short by suicide. If you lost a child or any loved one to suicide, give us a call for a free and confidential consultation. The Law Offices of Skip Simpson is based in Texas and serves families nationwide.