Page 28 | The Jed Foundation
The Jed Foundation The Jed Foundation

The Jed Foundation Releases Comprehensive Report on the State of Youth Mental Health and a Roadmap to Reducing Suicide

Posted on by Erika Hill

An expert panel analyzed data on youth mental health and suicide to identify factors influencing this generation and specific groups of youth, and provided recommendations on how to protect them and save lives.

December 6, 2023, NEW YORK CITY — The Jed Foundation (JED), the leading nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults, today issued Youth Suicide: Current Trends and the Path to Prevention, a comprehensive report that provides actionable insights into the mental health challenges of young people and evidence-based recommendations for lowering youth suicide rates. In the report, JED describes the challenges youth face, the factors that have contributed to suicide becoming the second-leading cause of death among youth ages 12 to 24, and outlines a detailed approach to  effectively reducing suicide risk for all teens and young adults. 

As a leader in creating and implementing suicide-prevention programs for teens and young adults for nearly 25 years, JED continually analyzes the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and other sources. Through collaboration with mental health researchers and clinicians, the report provides an overview of the prevailing risks and contributing factors that impact the mental wellness of young people and contribute to suicidal thoughts and attempts. 

“Suicide rates for young people have been rising for over a decade due to factors that include isolation, increasing access to firearms, and difficulty connecting to mental health treatment, and particular groups of youth are disproportionately impacted because of the effects of social determinants of health,” said Dr. Laura Erickson-Schroth, JED’s Chief Medical Officer. “Our first-of-its-kind report aims to provide a nuanced perspective on how these influences are driving suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and deaths among different groups of youth and identifies strategies that can help parents, educators, public officials, and policymakers mitigate these trends to improve young people’s mental health and save lives.”   

Key highlights from the report include: 

  • 10% of high school students attempted suicide in the past year. 
  • Black youth (ages 10 to 24) experienced the fastest increase in suicide rates between 2010 and 2020, with the rate almost doubling (a 90% increase).
  • American Indian/Alaska Native teens and young adults have the highest suicide rate across all racial groups — almost twice as high as the overall national average.
  • LGBTQIA+ youth are at higher risk for suicidal thoughts and attempts than cisgender heterosexual youth. 
  • Young women’s (ages 15 to 24) suicide rates are increasing faster than young men’s, doubling in the past two decades. 
  • Rural youth are almost twice as likely to die by suicide than those who live in large urban areas. 
  • Youth (ages 10 to 24) involved with the criminal legal system die by suicide at rates two to three times higher than the general youth population.  
  • Firearms are the leading method of suicide death overall, and approximately 90% of attempts are fatal. 

As part of the report, JED outlined 9 Essential Steps to Reducing Youth Suicide to ensure that, with an understanding of what is behind the data, we can support diverse groups of young people with proven solutions and change outcomes in a meaningful way. A sample of those steps includes using a comprehensive, strategic approach; increasing community and connection for young people; meaningfully increasing access to care; making widespread use of proven treatments and approaches; and reducing access to lethal means. 

“Over the past few years, young people have been significantly impacted by society’s greatest challenges, including the pandemic, war, climate change, racial disparities, and school shootings. They do this without the context, experience, and resilience that adults possess,” said John MacPhee, JED’s Chief Executive Officer. “We have an opportunity to actively protect teens and young adults by compassionately providing them with the skills and care they need to succeed, while also working to reduce the barriers and risk factors in our society. We firmly believe that by putting into practice the recommendations outlined in this report, we can work together to create a supportive environment that fosters resilience and connection, reduces risks, and decreases the number of young people who take their lives.”  

Youth Suicide: Current Trends and the Path to Prevention can be downloaded.

A Special Thanks 

An expert panel contributed their thoughts and insights from the field to inform this report and frame its issues and recommendations. The panel included: 

  • Asha Alexander, LCSW, Assistant Director of Counseling and Case Management, Hetrick-Martin Institute for LGBTQIA+ Youth
  • Catherine Barber, MPA, Senior Researcher, Harvard Injury Control Research Center, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
  • Lauren Carson, MA, Founder and Executive Director, Black Girls Smile
  • Christina Guilbeau, MBA, Founder, Hopebound
  • Kimberly Hieftje, PhD, Assistant Professor, Co-Director, and Co-Founder, Yale Center for Immersive Technologies in Pediatrics
  • Sophia Kizilbash, MSc, CPC, Sophia Kizilbash Coaching and Consulting
  • Aurora Martinez, THRIVE Suicide Prevention Project, Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board
  • Angel Mills, LPC-MH, NCC, Wahuta Consulting
  • Christine Yu Moutier, MD, Chief Medical Officer, The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)
  • Myeshia Price, PhD, Associate Professor, Indiana University Department of Counseling and Education Psychology, former Director of Research Science, The Trevor Project
  • Whitney Robertson, MA, LCMHC, Executive Board, Hopebound
  • Michelle Singer, Healthy Native Youth Project, Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board
  • Sarah Spafford, PhD, MSuicidology, Research Associate, Center on Human Development, University of Oregon
  • Altha J. Stewart, MD, Director, Center for Youth Advocacy and Well-Being, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

About The Jed Foundation (JED)
JED is a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. We’re partnering with high schools and colleges to strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. We’re equipping teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other. We’re encouraging community awareness, understanding, and action for young adult mental health.
Connect with JED!  Email | X (formerly Twitter) | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | Snapchat | Pinterest | TikTok

Media Contact
Justin Barbo
Director of Public Relations, The Jed Foundation
justin@jedfoundation.org
media@jedfoundation.org

FINN Partners
JEDteam@finnpartners.com

 

Five Tips for Embracing the Season: A Guide to Safeguarding Your Mental Health When Heading Home for the Holidays

Posted on by Erika Hill

December 5, 2023, NEW YORK CITY —The holiday season is often regarded as a festive time full of family, friends, and joy. But for some teens and young adults, visiting family, celebrating holidays together, and navigating festivities can be a source of emotional stress. If you have those feelings, you’re not alone. In recent years, the American Psychiatric Association has found that younger adults were more likely than older adults to say their stress levels increased during the holiday season, and their parents experienced similar emotions.

“When traveling home or leaving school for the holidays, it’s common to experience a mix of emotions ranging from joy and excitement to stress and anxiety,” said Dr. Kurt Michael, adolescent suicidologist and Senior Clinical Director at The Jed Foundation (JED). “Knowing that can help you prepare for challenging situations and take care of yourself.” 

Whether you’re heading home from college for the first time or visiting family you haven’t seen in a while, JED, a leading national nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for teens and young adults, is sharing easy-to-use tips on how to take care of yourself during the holidays.

Make a Plan
If you feel stressed before the holidays, make a plan to take care of yourself ahead of time. It could include being kind to yourself, planning for downtime, taking a break from social media, moving your body, getting outside, or listening to a relaxing playlist. 

Connect With Loved Ones
Although the holiday season brings many families together, some struggle with unresolved tensions, difficult family relationships, or distressing conversations that repeatedly occur at family gatherings. Setting boundaries and making a plan to navigate these conversations and communicate honestly with family members, including sharing how you may be struggling, can help reduce or manage tension and increase connection. 

Recognize and Manage Triggers
Holidays can also be an extra challenge for those trying to stick with their recovery goals for eating disorders or supporting their sobriety. Dealing with grief or loss of a loved one can be especially tough this time of year, making coping practices and self-care really important. 

Be Kind to Yourself
It can be hard to prioritize self-care when you’re with family or in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, but take the time you need to rest and recharge. Prioritize sleep, moving your body, nourishing yourself, and setting boundaries. 

Ask for Help
Reach out to people you trust if you need support navigating the holiday season. Look to friends, family members, or mental health professionals for help navigating challenges such as religious bullying, loneliness, and depression.

To learn more about how you can invest in your emotional well-being, visit JED’s Mental Health Resource Center and resource hub for taking care of yourself, lowering stress, and finding joy during the holidays.

This is intended only as a resource and not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health-care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress or a mental health, suicide, or substance-use crisis, reach out 24/7 to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) by dialing or texting 988 or using chat services at suicidepreventionlifeline.org to connect to a trained crisis counselor. 

For more information on The Jed Foundation or its Mental Health Resource Center, please visit jedfoundation.org.

About The Jed Foundation (JED)

JED is a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. We’re partnering with high schools and colleges to strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. We’re equipping teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other. We’re encouraging community awareness, understanding, and action for young adult mental health.

Connect with JED:  Email | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn

Media Contact
Justin Barbo
Director, Public Relations, The Jed Foundation
justin@jedfoundation.org
914-844-4611

Uniting for Youth: Insights From the JED Policy Summit on Student Mental Health

Posted on by Jessica Hicks

A group of individuals having a discussion at the JED Policy Summit on October 30, 2023.

By Rebecca Bauer

On October 30, 2023, more than 100 mental health experts, advocates, and allies gathered in Washington, D.C., for the JED Policy Summit: Shifting Student Mental Health From Advocacy to Action. Jed Foundation (JED) CEO John MacPhee kicked off the event with a welcome to all and a reminder that no single organization can solve our youth mental health crisis alone, which is why the main goal of the inaugural event was coalition-building. 

The room was filled with powerful partners in the field of youth mental health, coming together to identify common goals and establish a working relationship that will create a stronger mental health ecosystem for all youth and their families.

Cross-sector collaboration was the bedrock for this event, with presentations by leading experts from government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and institutes of higher education. Throughout the keynote and panel discussions, several key takeaways emerged. To address the mental health crisis, we must:

  • Establish policies that meet the needs of all youth
  • Plan strategic implementation processes
  • Embrace innovative approaches
  • Respond to the current situation with urgency

Establish Policies That Meet the Needs of All Youth

Across the country, youth are actively seeking help for mental health challenges — and they are met with an astounding lack of options. To ensure that all youth have access to potentially life-saving care, policy reform is vital. Advocates and policy makers must urge insurance companies to play a role in increasing the supply of in-network mental health care providers of varied identities and backgrounds. 

Keynote speaker, Rafael Campos, the deputy director of public engagement for the Office of the Surgeon General, highlighted the importance of creating a pipeline to increase the number of mental health care providers from communities of color so that youth can access services provided by people in their own communities. 

Campos stressed the significance of representation in the mental health sector. “The human capital component is so important,” he said. “If I’m a young person and I want to speak out about my mental health, it’s going to be a lot easier if someone across the room looks like me and sounds like me.”

Providing high-quality health care to all children requires not only a reliable pool of health care providers trained to support youth but also policies to ensure that services are affordable to all. Presenters spoke passionately about mental health parity — the equal treatment of mental health conditions in insurance plans — emphasizing that rule changes can be mechanisms to ensure that individuals can actually make use of mental health services. 

Laura Conrad, from the Technical Assistance Collaborative, reminded the audience that leveraging Medicaid, which approximately half of children receive, is a powerful approach in enabling youth to receive vital mental health services in school.

Dr. Zainab Okolo, JED's Senior Vice President of Policy, Advocacy, and Government Relations, speaks at the JED Policy Summit on October 30, 2023.
Dr. Zainab Okolo, JED’s Senior Vice President of Policy, Advocacy, and Government Relations, speaks at the JED Policy Summit on October 30, 2023.

Plan Strategic Implementation

Strategic implementation takes policy and turns it into action and impact. Campos emphasized that trusted community partners are key to success. “Sometimes it’s not the information we’re talking about; it’s the messenger,” he said. Particularly in the changing political environment, empowering trusted leaders like librarians and educators can help us reach common ground on protecting youth mental health.

Donna Volpitta, co-founder of the Mental Health Literacy Collaborative, called for clear national standards that provide schools with the guidance they need to put a plan into action. “We can’t treat our way out of this crisis. We can’t legislate out of this crisis,” she said. “We need to understand how to address that gap between policy and practice.”

Embrace Innovative Approaches

Campos indicated that while technology poses risks, we can’t be afraid to use it for good. Telehealth, in particular, has significant potential to reduce barriers to care. 

Campos said that social media use is both a concern and an opportunity. “What’s difficult with the topic is not that social media is bad and no one should use it,” he explained. “The worry is you’ve let loose a platform and algorithms without taking into account what kind of safeguards are needed.” 

There are parallels to the emergence of automobiles, Campos said. To reduce the dangers of car accidents, for example, we required manufacturers to install safety features like seatbelts and airbags. Now is the time to make similar demands of social media companies.

Youth are asking adults to think big when it comes to supporting the well-being of their generation, which is why all efforts must center youth voices. Young people have valuable perspectives to share and can play a pivotal role in building mental health care systems of the future. During the summit’s youth panel, presenters spoke powerfully about their experiences navigating inequities in education, health disparities, and other institutional challenges. 

Youth don’t just deserve a seat at the table — they should help craft the agenda. Jorge Alvarez, a social impact strategist and mental health advocate, offered a call to action for the adults in the room: “It’s important for leadership to trust youth … and ask us how we want to be engaged, how we want to be incorporated, what our strengths are.”

Respond with Urgency

Every panel emphasized the urgency with which we need to take action. Dr. Lisa Wiggins, a behavioral health scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), shared alarming statistics on the current state of youth mental health, followed by a clear appeal to the audience: “When we hear these numbers, when we see these numbers, they force us as a community to act.”

Everyone in that room was ready to take up that call. Dr. Zainab Okolo, JED’s senior vice president of policy, advocacy, and government relations, closed out the summit by introducing the foundation’s three policy levers to advance national change that can result in meaningful improvement in youth mental health:

  1. Community engagement — Recognizing and addressing the distinctive requirements of communities and actively engaging youth voices on their own terms.
  2. Coalition-building — Creating alliances and fostering collaboration among key stakeholders and partners, both state and federal.
  3. Foundational practices — Establishing fundamental best practices and metrics to ascertain significant outcomes in student mental health.

“The time is now. The data tells us so,” Okolo said. “None of us owns the problem, but with all of us working together, we do have the solution.”

Learn more about JED’s advocacy work

Campi Hosts JED’s Fourth-Annual Florida Gala Benefitting Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Programs for Local Schools, Students

Posted on by Erika Hill

student JED florida gala attendees smiling while seated together a tableOn Thursday, Nov. 9, The Jed Foundation (JED) hosted its fourth-annual Florida Gala at The Ray Hotel’s new Delray Beach restaurant, Campi, raising $200,000 to benefit youth mental health and suicide prevention work for local schools and students.

More than 20% of high school students reported having serious thoughts of suicide over the past year, and 10% have made an attempt to take their lives. Suicide remains the second-leading cause of death among young people ages 10 to 34 in the U.S. In Florida, 64% of young people ages 12 to 17 who have depression did not receive any care in the past year, while nearly half of all high school students reported feeling “depressed or sad on most days.”  

room full of people standing around talking at JED's Florida GalaAt JED’s Florida Gala, nearly 200 guests gathered to take part in powerful conversations about how these urgent issues can be addressed to protect emotional health and prevent  suicide. Donations from the gala will support local implementation of the District Comprehensive Approach, a groundbreaking program offered through JED and AASA, The School Superintendents Association, that provides PreK-12 school districts across the nation with an evidence-based framework to protect mental health and prevent suicide for millions of students. 

JED currently offers expert support to 10 Florida schools, impacting more than 230,000 students and establishing environments where they feel supported and equipped to thrive. Nationally, JED is positively impacting more than 6.5 million young lives from Pre-K to college through purposeful partnerships with school districts, high schools, boarding schools, and colleges.

Former Miami Dolphins player Rob Konrad served as emcee for the mission-driven night, speaking candidly about the mental health struggles that impacted his fellow athletes, while JED CEO John MacPhee discussed the current landscape of youth mental health, the nonprofit’s innovative work in Florida and across the country, and the importance of being a supportive adult to today’s youth.

Dr. Ralph Maurer, Head of School at Oxbridge Academy speaking at the mic during The Jed Foundation Florida GalaDr. Ralph Maurer, Head of School at Oxbridge Academy, also spoke to the crowd of local celebrities, educators, students, and mental health advocates about leading a JED High School and prioritizing the emotional well-being of his students. 

JED youth ambassador Adison Schwartz was honored with a special award for her leadership and commitment to young adult mental health, and Doug Hammond, Chairman and CEO of NFP, accepted the Corporate Leadership Award on his company’s behalf for its continued commitment to supporting teens and young adults.

John Macphee and Adison standing together at The Jed Foundation Florida Gala, Adison is holding a certificate in her hand       

“The Jed Foundation is grateful to our Florida friends and advocates for their continuous efforts in shaping a better future for all young people living in Florida,” MacPhee said. “The support from this community will allow for PreK-12 students to grow up in academic environments where mental health is normalized and suicide prevention efforts are prioritized. We’re appreciative of all who showed up to both celebrate our accomplishments and remind us that the work continues.” 

   

The event was sponsored by Campi (host), Avalon (host), NFP (host), Kobren Law, Delray Dermatology + Cosmetic Center, Robinson Family Foundation, Paley Orthopedic & Spine Institute at St. Mary’s Medical Center, Muir Cosmetic + Restorative Dentistry,  Nicholson Muir: Distinguished Meats, and The Presson Group.

About The Jed Foundation (JED)
JED is a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. We’re partnering with high schools and colleges to strengthen their mental health, substance misuse, and suicide prevention programs and systems. We’re equipping teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other. We’re encouraging community awareness, understanding, and action for young adult mental health.
Connect with JED!  Email | X (formerly Twitter) | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn | Snapchat | Pinterest | TikTok

Media Contact
Justin Barbo
Director, Public Relations, The Jed Foundation
justin@jedfoundation.org
media@jedfoundation.org

Get Help Now

If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone right now, text, call, or chat 988 for a free confidential conversation with a trained counselor 24/7. 

You can also contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741-741.

If this is a medical emergency or if there is immediate danger of harm, call 911 and explain that you need support for a mental health crisis.