Creating a Safety Net to Prevent Youth Suicide

by Christine Yu-Moutier, M.D., AFSP Chief Medical Officer

Suicide and suicidal behavior – among young adults, teens, and in recent years, younger children – are a major public health crisis. During the past two years, concerns about the impact of the pandemic on youth mental health have added to pre-pandemic levels of concern. Youth and young adults had been experiencing rises in depression, anxiety and self-harm over the past decade and a half and many of us had already been concerned about many aspects of their experiences and the culture surrounding young people. The pandemic then led to new and urgent concerns about uncertainty, social isolation and potential disruptions in their psychological development. Read More