Youth crisis

Suicide is a tragedy that leaves loved ones shattered. Consider the crushing grief of a parent who loses a child to suicide. According to a study published in the Annals of Pediatrics and Child Health, suicide is the leading cause of death for 13and 14-year-olds in the U.S. Despite alarms from the U.S. Surgeon General and many others, the youth mental health crises continues unabated. The trend pre-dates COVID-19. Between 2008 and 2018 the suicide rate among children ages 13 and 14 nationwide roughly doubled.

The Virginia Department of Health released a bulletin summarizing data on suicide and self-harm among Virginia youth ages 9 through 18 between 2015 and 2021. Emergency room visits related to suicide attempts, self-harm and suicidal thoughts more than doubled between 2016 and 2021. Hospitalizations due to nonfatal self-harm increased 10% from 2016 to 2020. Annual deaths by suicide among Virginia youth from 2015 through 2021 ranged from 4 to 6.2 per 100,000 population.

No matter one’s political, religious or social affiliations, can we agree that no family should suffer the loss of a child by suicide? In the wealthiest, most powerful country on Earth and a commonwealth that boasts a budget surplus, can we not muster the will, summon the talent and marshal the resources to keep our children from killing themselves? This campaign season, members of Virginia Organizing will ask every candidate what his or her plan is to address the youth mental health crisis. We hope you do as well.

Susan Misle Fincke, Virginia Organizing Portsmouth Chapter member, Virginia Beach