CDC reports suicides up for young people: Developing community points the way out

We have work to do. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s report on 2021 suicides quantify what many of us have already observed: U.S. suicide deaths rose after a brief decline. The increase is most profound among young men, 15 to 24 years old, for whom the increase in the suicide rate was double (+8 percent) that of Americans overall (+4 percent). Young women were also affected; suicide was the second leading cause of death for all Americans, 10 to 34 in the past year.

All of us across society — especially government, community, corporate, and education leaders — must recognize the many potential causes of distress and respond thoughtfully. Congress in particular has the opportunity to accomplish something by passing legislation that will help address this crisis with proven strategies. These are needed, as well-intended suggestions advanced lately in popular media for young people seeking relief from anxiety and depression miss the mark. Remedies such as mindfulness and better selfcare — including sleep and exercise, helpful in maintaining good health — alone won’t sufficiently address the issues causing mental distress.

In considering our path to solutions, we must first recognize that societal trends, driven by the pandemic and preceding it, have lessened the social supports on which young people benefit for healthy emotional development. Loneliness is up. Dating is down; time spent with friends and families in real-life is down; partnering and marrying are delayed. More now work remotely; despite its benefits, it further reduces face time with others. Young people need community, and while this alone is not the way out of the suicide crisis, we won’t emerge from it without helping them access the sense of belonging, purpose, and resilience that comes from strong social connections.

The scope of the problem gives credence to the idea that we aren’t solely facing a mental health crisis, but rather, significant social and political crises and rapid societal changes that have had clear mental health impacts. When we look at what young people have dealt with for the past several years — pandemic, war, financial insecurity, school shootings, climate change, political and social conflict, and racially, ethically and gender motivated violence — it’s no surprise that Gen Z is more stressed than older generations about what is reported in the news. Their upset, worry, and anxiety are normal human responses to these concurrent threats; we must be careful not to pathologize them into illnesses or to gaslight young people by suggesting they simply need better developed coping skills.

Providing young people a path forward to directly confront the causes of their distress is critical, and that starts with developing a sense of shared purpose. Many younger people want to take meaningful action against violence, environmental collapse, and intolerance at the root of their anxieties and depression, but often aren’t sure where to start and may question whether they’ll be able to make a difference.

But by participating in groups acting for positive change, young people can develop literacy about political processes and, through advocacy, change events. Older adults can and should collaborate in these efforts, sharing their experience and needed perspective with young people. This has the effect of reducing feelings of powerlessness and the deep resignation that follows them. Providing a registry that directs young people to organizations like NextVoice, which connects them with peers and other generations interested in solving shared social issues, will also be critical.

Connecting young people with others is also a helpful way to build community, a powerful antidote to overwhelming societal trends. By fostering a sense of belonging among young people and inviting them to take part in a wider group that is mutually supportive, we take critical steps in helping them establish a foundation of wellbeing and positivity. Developing a sense of community and belonging is increasingly recommended for adolescents. It is proven to have life-long mental health benefits, including a lowered incidence of high-risk behavior.

Community’s clear benefits underscore the need for infrastructure that builds resilience to help prevent suicide. Responding to natural disasters, we have established FEMA and the Red Cross. In the wake of the pandemic, we set up rent-forgiveness, suspension of student-loan payments, Small Business Recovery Grants, and Payroll Protection Plan funds. In 2020, Congress designated “988” the dialing code for those dealing with immediate mental health crises, but we must go further. Our response to the suicide crisis must ensure that essential needs are met, such as affordable housing, a higher minimum wage, and social safety-net programs.

As midterms swiftly approach, our response should be top of mind for all voters and policymakers. Those who are concerned about this crisis must call on this Congress to support national mental health prioritization and planning by finalizing legislation based on H.R. 5407 sponsored by Reps. Susan Wild (D-Pa.) and Fred Keller (R-Pa.) and its companion measure, S. 4970 sponsored by Sens. Richard Blumenthal and (D-Conn.) Tim Scott (R-S.C.) by the end of the year. This legislation would ensure that colleges and universities use evidence-based policies to implement comprehensive suicide prevention programs. It is much needed; it can take months for young people to find a therapist for long-term support. We need to seriously explore these gaps in care and propose fresh ideas; why not finally create a national program that creates peer and paraprofessional workforces that provide ongoing support for the mental health challenges young people face?

Community-building must be at the center of that effort. It’s time to create partnerships between public health authorities, non-profits, educators, and families that assist young people in making strong social connections that help them through this deepening crisis. We must recognize that our youth have faced seemingly insurmountable problems for the last few years without a path to solutions. This is the moment to give them the tools to build community, not only to take control of their futures, but also to see and believe that there is indeed a hopeful future.

A public health leader focused on protecting emotional health of young people and preventing suicide among teens and young adults, John MacPhee is CEO of The Jed Foundation.