Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people ages 12–24. This deeply concerning trend has become a national priority and a focus of U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, and it continues to be our focus at The Jed Foundation (JED).
This report — created in collaboration with mental health researchers and clinicians who work directly with youth — explores the most recent data on youth mental health and suicide to offer a detailed look at what youth are experiencing and what we all can do to support their emotional well-being and lower suicide risk. You’ll learn about which groups of youth are most at risk and targeted solutions to support them, as well as nine essential steps to lowering suicide risk among all youth.
For media inquiries or interview opportunities about the report, please contact Justin Barbo, director of public relations at JED, at justin@jedfoundation.org or media@jedfoundation.org.
Acknowledgments
We are grateful for the deep collaboration and partnership between the JED team, FINN Partners, and the team of experts who helped us create this report and offered suggestions and revisions on sections or on the full report, including:
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/executive director, Black Girls Smile
Christina Guilbeau, MBA, founder, Hopebound
Kimberly Hieftje, PhD, assistant professor, co-director/co-founder, Yale Center for Immersive Technologies in Pediatrics
Sophia Kizilbash, MSc, CPC, Sophia Kizilbash Coaching and Consulting
Aurora Martinez, THRIVE Suicide Prevention Project coordinator, Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board
Angel Mills (Oglala Lakota), LPC-MH, NCC, Wahuta Consulting
Christine Yu Moutier, MD, chief medical officer, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Myeshia Price, PhD, associate professor, Indiana University Bloomington School of Education, Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology; former director of research science, The Trevor Project
Whitney Robertson, MA, LCMHC, founding executive board member, 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 College of Education
Altha J. Stewart, MD, director, Center for Youth Advocacy and Well-Being, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center