(Describer) "Warning. Please be advised this video discusses sensitive topics including suicidal ideation. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The Ohio Careline 1-800-720-9616. Crisis Text Line "4HOPE" to 741741." A young white man appears.

We've all had bad days or maybe even weeks or months. Life can be rough sometimes, and it can take a toll on our mental health. According to the Center for Disease Control, suicide rates increased 30% between 2000 and 2018. Suicide has become the second leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 14 and 25 to 34. I know it's an uncomfortable topic, but if we want to address it, we have to talk about it. Hi, I'm Griffin, and today on "Mind Frame" we're talking about suicide prevention. After all, knowing the signs and symptoms could save someone's life, right? So let's dive in. Social worker De'Asia Thompson works with kids and young adults, and she sees how self-harm and suicide are impacting young lives. So what we do know about suicide rates in Ohio as it stands is that it is comparable here with other states in the U.S. We know that there are oftentimes diagnoses for depression or anxiety or other mood disorders. We also know that a lot of times there could be alcohol or drugs, other substances involved in the decision to complete suicide. More recently, we've seen an uptick due to isolation from COVID, right? Everyone had to go on lockdown and have these new experiences, and so folks are struggling with ways to cope with the isolation, the new world that we live in post COVID. When we're thinking about what could bring a person to contemplate or even want to complete suicide, looking for signs of depression is really important. So being withdrawn, being isolated, not wanting to engage with others, extreme mood swings. We also see an increase in use of substances, so drinking or other drugs, and we also see that folks tend to give away things when they are contemplating ending their life. So one of the things that I would recommend is that if you are thinking about it, that you tell someone. Sometimes people will tell you. So listen to what people have to say when they're talking about their feelings, in case they do mention that they are thinking about suicide. Like De'Asia said, symptoms of suicide can happen with other mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. So it's super important to tell someone if you have these feelings. To give us an idea of how alarming suicide rates are becoming for young people, let's look at the data. In Ohio, in 2021, more than 31% of high school females seriously considered suicide compared to under 20% in 2019, while a little more than 12% of males seriously considered suicide compared to about 11 and a half in 2019. And if we look at actual attempts, more than 15% of high school females attempted suicide in 2021 compared to around 6% in 2019. And more than 12% of males attempted suicide in 2021 compared to less than 8% in 2019. We can see from the data that these numbers are going up, but especially for young girls. We need to look out for each other. Again, if you see something, say something. So how can we support those who might be contemplating suicide? To answer this question, we caught up with Dr. Max Tokarsky, who works with kids like us at Dayton Children's Hospital. He's seen an increase in suicide attempts and hospitalizations for children and teens. Black, Indigenous, people of color and LGBTQIA+ kids are at an even higher risk. And according to Dr. Max, there are things we should do to help our friends who are struggling. The best thing you can do for a friend in need is to take what they are telling you very seriously. An individual who is thinking about death and dying, suicide, or experiencing depression, they need help as soon as they can get it. So by whatever means necessary; getting them to talk to a professional, seeking help from another person that you trust, not being forced to keep this to yourself. It's very important that you talk to someone.

(Describer) Text messages.

Even if your friend is asking you to keep it a secret, it is important that you help them to find help because death and dying is not something to keep to yourself. It is something that always should be taken very seriously. With respects to being a minority and diversity, I think it's very important that we pay attention to the intersection of specific diversity variables. So say for example, an individual is Black and gay, or Latinx and trans, they are much more likely because of their specific intersection of two marginalized identities to experience social rejection, bullying, even family rejection regarding certain aspects of their identity. It is very important that we create an environment of understanding and acceptance for all individuals, and that we give them an opportunity to talk to us about who they are and find help if they need support from another professional individual. I think if you're in middle school and you're struggling with mental health, it's important to know that it's okay to be struggling, that you are not alone. There are many many individuals who have had difficult times in their life and have learned to recover and to get better and are grateful that they did. And there are many opportunities for help available to you. This is good advice, and you know what? Creating a safe space for our peers is such an easy thing to do. It could make a big difference in someone's life. But don't just take my word for it. Reese Hornick is a member of her school's Hope Squad. Hope Squad is a peer-to-peer suicide prevention program. Members are nominated by their classmates as trustworthy peers and trained by advisors to recognize the signs of suicide and other mental health issues. Reese specifically is using a tragedy from her own life as motivation to help others.

(Describer) Reese sits in a bedroom.

When I lost a friend to suicide in seventh grade, it was by far the biggest and most depressing event that had ever happened in my life. She was 12 years old.

(Describer) Now, she sits in a library.

That experience really changed how I thought about mental health. Losing a friend to suicide really motivated me to help others. I joined the Hope Squad at my high school, and now I am able to help other students who may be going through similar things like she was when she took her own life. One of the big methods of training that they teach us as soon as we get into Hope Squad is something called QPR, which stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer. Question means to go up to someone and ask them directly or indirectly, are you struggling? Are you contemplating suicide? Persuade is to persuade them to go get help from either a professional mental health counselor or their counselor at school. And Refer is to make sure that they get to those people and that if they need you to, you bring them to those people. Peer support is so important for middle schoolers and teenagers because sometimes we don't want to talk to adults. We don't think that adults can understand us or relate to what we are feeling. And so having peers and people that are your age that can support you and relate to you and have empathy for you is a huge help when it comes to mental health disorders.

(Griffin) Can't emphasize that enough. If you see something, say something. There are plenty of resources available like 988 and other helplines you can call 24/7. Not every school has a Hope Squad, and that's okay. We can still look out for each other. And if your school is interested in a suicide prevention program, there are evidence-based programs to choose from that best fit your school and community. Until next time, everyone, be well and let's take care of each other.

(Describer) 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The Ohio Careline 1-800-720-9616. Crisis Text Line "4HOPE" to 741741. Montgomery County Educational Service Center. Accessibility provided by the US Department of Education.

Accessibility provided by the U.S. Department of Education.