Twin reports confirm the problem, highlight need for action, understanding.
By Editorial Board Star Tribune
“I’d like to get your take on this.” That respectful conversation starter with the adolescents and young adults in your family ought to be on your personal agenda soon after the release of two sets of data offering a frightening glimpse into young people’s escalating struggles with #mentalhealth.
The information came out this week from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Minnesota Departments of Education and Health. The releases don’t appear to have been coordinated. But combined, the findings offer federal- and state-level confirmation of an alarming public health concern.
#JamesDonaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
The Minnesota information was gathered during a once-every-three-years survey of those attending middle school and high school. In 2019, 23% reported long-term #mentalhealth or emotional problems, a figure that rose 5 percentage points overall since the 2016 survey.
The survey also asked students about “#suicideideation” — meaning thoughts about taking their own lives at some point. The number of students experiencing this rose across grade levels since the 2013 survey. Six years ago, “20 percent of 11th-grade students reported seriously considering #suicide at some point in their lives, compared to 24 percent of 11th-graders in 2019,” state officials reported Thursday.
Data from the CDC provided a grim complement to this data, showing that an increasing number of young people nationally are acting on suicidal thoughts. The federal agency released a research brief focusing on death rates due to #suicide and homicide among people ages 10 to 24 for the years 2000 to 2017.
While the death rate from homicide, historically a leading cause of death for this age, has declined, the #suicide death rate rose sharply over the past decade after a period of stability in this century’s first decade. In 2007, the #suicide rate in this age group stood at 6.8 per 100,000. In 2017, that figure stood at 10.6 per 100,000. That’s a heartbreaking increase of 56%.
The total number of #suicide deaths in this age group nationally: 6,769 nationally in 2017, up from 4,320 in 2007.
The reports have spurred understandable alarm in Minnesota and elsewhere. “In the past five to 10 years, we’ve seen significant increases in the national rates of youth with major #depression episodes, the number of youths with suicidality-related emergency department visits, and most tragically, completed #suicides,’’ said Ezra Golberstein, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health. “We need to get an understanding of what is driving this so we can reverse this horrible trend.”
To their credit, lawmakers and Gov. Tim Walz took steps during the last legislative session to increase grants for school-linked #mentalhealthservices. There is also expanded training for teachers and other school staff to spot suicide warning signs in students. The state is fortunate to have leaders who put a priority on #mentalhealth and energetic advocacy organizations such as the #NationalAllianceonMentalIllness. But clearly, there is still much more work to be done.
Congress also needs to get involved. The CDC data raised understandable questions about the role that #socialmedia and technology may have. Better research is needed to understand this and the role that firearm access may play.
The questions need to go beyond policymakers, however. Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and trusted family friends have an important role to play in understanding why adolescents and young adults are more frequently struggling with #mentalhealth. Older generations can’t diagnose or stem this alone. They need feedback from young people to guide them.
A good place to begin: starting a conversation with the young people in your life and sincerely seeking to understand.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
