#Teen and #youth #anxiety and #depression are getting worse since #COVID lockdowns began in March, early studies suggest, and many experts say they fear a corresponding increase in youth #suicide.
At the end of June, the #CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention surveyed almost 10,000 #Americans on their #mentalhealth. They found symptoms of #anxiety and #depression were up sharply across the board between March and June, compared with the same time the previous year. And young people seemed to be the hardest-hit of any group.
Almost 11 percent of all respondents to that survey said they had “seriously considered” #suicide in the past 30 days. For those ages 18 to 24, the number was 1 in 4 — more than twice as high.
#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
Data collection for several studies on #teen #mentalhealth during the #pandemic is currently underway. And experts worry those studies will show a spike in #suicide, because young people are increasingly cut off from peers and caring adults, because their futures are uncertain and because they are spending more time at home, where they are most likely to have access to lethal weapons.
“#Teenagers are in a developmental space where it is critically important that they have regular contact with their peers and are able to develop close and ongoing relationships with adults outside the home, such as their teachers, their coaches, their advisers,” says Lisa Damour, an adolescent psychologist who is a columnist and host of the podcast Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting. “And I worry very much about what it means for that to be disrupted by the #pandemic.”
The stressors of #COVID come as #youth #suicide was already at a record high before the #pandemic, with increases every year since 2007. #Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people ages 10-24, after accidents, as it has been for many years, according to the most recent data available from the #CDC.
Not having guns in the home, or keeping them safely locked away, is another overlooked factor in #suicide risk. A new analysis of the latest CDC data, just released by the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety, found that the rate of specifically firearm suicides increased 51% for 15-24 year olds in the decade ending in 2018. Among 10- to 14-year-olds, who have a lower rate of #suicide to begin with, #suicide by gun increased a staggering 214% in that time frame.
Gun #suicide is astonishingly lethal: Of all #suicide attempts not involving guns, 94% fail, and most of those people do not try again, Everytown reports. Of all #suicide attempts that do involve guns, 90% succeed. That’s one reason that gun ownership correlates with the youth #suicide rate, state by state. A study last year found that for each 10 percent increase in household gun ownership in a state, the #suicide rate for 10- to 19-year-olds increases by more than 25 percent.
And, the presence of guns is another community risk factor that has increased during the #pandemic: From March to July 2020, Everytown reports, gun sales doubled compared with the year before.
Carrson Everett, 17, says when he himself attempted #suicide, the fact that his #parents kept their guns safely locked away and out of reach most likely helped save his life. He says that during the #pandemic, “#Teenagers are already having the effect of #isolation, staying at home and everything. And now there’s all these new firearms in their homes and, you know, we can’t tell who’s safely storing their guns and who isn’t. And it’s very dangerous.”
Everett has started his senior year of high school in Kingsport, Tenn., on a hybrid schedule. On the days that he’s home, he says he wonders what he’s missing out on at school. “Everyone feels isolated, and it’s been very tough for everybody.”
He says these past few months have been especially hard for him because he has #depression and #anxiety. Plus, he says he’s been bullied for years for being #gay, including over video chat during distance learning.
Everett is a volunteer for Students Demand Action, an anti-gun violence group that is part of Everytown. He said he’s learned that gun violence isn’t just a matter of crime or mass shootings, but also #suicide. “I wrote an op-ed about a #kid that was my age over in Cookeville, Tennessee, that had taken his own life with a firearm because he had been outed [as gay] at school. So, you know, it’s very relatable for me.”
Damour, the #teen psychologist, explains that not having guns in the home, or keeping them safely locked away, is important especially for adolescents because “#teens are impulsive.”
What #parents can do
She says #parents need to know that #suicide is preventable. A red flag is when sadness is more than a passing mood. Caregivers need to check in regularly — which can be unexpectedly complicated when the whole family is spending so much time at home.
A common pattern, she notes, is #parents trying to work during the day, and #teenagers staying up late at night to have time to themselves. This isn’t inherently a problem, Damour says, but “there’s a difference between allowing privacy and allowing a #teenager to hole up in their room for days at a time.”
If a #teen talks about harming themselves or wanting to disappear, a parent should ask directly, “Is that something you think you might really do or you think about doing? Or are you just letting me know that you’re very upset right now?” And, she adds, hear them out without dismissing what they’re saying.
She also says parents should look out for anger: “In #teenagers, uniquely, #depression can take the form of irritability. That #depression in #teenagers sometimes looks like a prickly porcupine. Everybody rubs them the wrong way. And that is easy to miss because sometimes we’ll just dismiss that as being a snarky #teenager.”
If school is all-virtual, she says, parents should look for safe sports, work or volunteer opportunities that allow #teens to have social time and contact with other caring adults.
Finally, Damour says she sees one bright spot: During the #pandemic, she and other clinicians are finding that telemedicine — therapy over video chat — is working surprisingly well with adolescents.
“The #teenagers that I see are often talking to me from their bedrooms, sometimes flopped over in their beds,” she says. “There’s something unguarded about it that’s very different than having them sit in my office.”
And, virtual therapy can lower barriers to access for families who might have had to travel to get accessible #mentalhealthcare.
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, reach out for help. The #NationalSuicidePreventionLifeline is open 24 hours a day at 800-273-8255.
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
