Youth, counselors push for louder discussion about suicide risks so more people will get help
By Martha Irvine, APThursday, October 8, 2009
Youth push for louder conversation about suicide
CHICAGO — Talk of suicide makes many people uncomfortable. But more young people are taking the topic frankly on college campuses, in high schools and online.
The hope is that more young people will get help.
One online site called New Moon recently featured the topic for its pre-teen girl readers. Some states are requiring a strategy for suicide prevention in schools. And at the University of Connecticut, students and faculty recently planted hundreds of flags to represent the roughly 1,200 college student suicides that happen each year.
Mental health experts say the need for these kind of discussions is great. The most recent federal suicide stats available show an increase in suicides among 10- to 24-year-olds.
