As many of us know from firsthand experience, the pandemic brought a slew of challenges to everyday life. Many were struggling. A lot of people dealt with increased anxiety, depression and feelings of loneliness.
Now that we’re coming out of the pandemic, life seems to be returning to normal for many, but some people are still dealing with those mental health struggles.
The CDC says more than ever, young people are suffering from sexual violence, sadness, and risk of suicide. Three in five teen girls, or 60%, reported feeling persistent sadness or hopelessness in 2021, the highest level in more than a decade. And one in three girls seriously considered attempting suicide.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is a national health organization that aims to "save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide.”
Mai Lieng Tran is director of the foundation’s Nevada chapter and joined State of Nevada host Joe Schoenmann to discuss the report.
On what their organization does
Our mission is to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide. And we do that through funding scientific research, we do that by educating the community on suicide prevention. We do that through advocating for public policy on mental health and suicide prevention. And we also do that by providing support to people who've been affected by suicide, either as survivors of suicide loss, or people with lived experience.
On supporting LGBTQIA+ youth
So suicide is actually the second leading cause of death in the ages 10 to 24. And we know through research that … the LGBTQIA community has a higher rate, I think it's something like 40% higher, have attempted suicide or had thoughts of suicidal ideation. And so we have programs … We also have partnerships with organizations like the Trevor Project, who does provide direct support. They have crisis lines that you can contact, and that is specific to the LGBTQIA community.
On the CDC report
Some of that research is still coming out. And some of that data I should say is still coming out. So I don't know if it necessarily is higher in Nevada specifically. I can say though, that just being around that age group, and you know, the girls in that age group, and there's a lot of pressure, there's bullying, there's no social media, there's just the glitz and the glam of the Strip and Las Vegas.
On what they’re seeing with teen girls
We're just starting to really start to work with some more of that age group. We've partnered with a couple of the Henderson libraries to present “It's Real: Teens and Mental Health.” So I'm hoping to continue that partnership and get some more engagement with that and get some more folks to show up. But really, it's just, we need to put this information in front of anybody that we can, the parents, the teens, so that way that they're equipped with some tools to be able to support the girls specifically that might be feeling that way.
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or suicide, the National Crisis Helpline number is 988.
Guest: Mai Lieng Tran, Nevada area director, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
