mental health statistics
Depression, Anxiety and Suicidal Ideation
- 1 in 5 experience mental health issues at some time
- 1 in 10 young people experience a period of Major Depression
- 1 in 25 live with a serious mental illness such as major depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, or schizophrenia
- Less than 20% of people with mental health disorders receive adequate treatment
- Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States (49,316 in 2023)
- Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for 15 to 24 year-olds…
CDC Suicide Data   American Foundation For Suicide Prevention
We believe if we had been aware of the staggering mental health statistics associated with mental illness and the risk of suicide, we would have been more likely to understand Jesse’s risk of experiencing suicidal thoughts. These resources also would have led us to learn about treatments and evidence based supports specific to mental health crisis and SI.
QPR Institute: About Suicide
Suicidal ideation (SI), or suicidal thoughts, means having thoughts, ideas, or ruminations about the possibility of ending one’s own life. It is not a diagnosis but is a symptom of some mental health disorders and can also occur in response to adverse events without the presence of a mental disorder. https://en.wikipedia
Suicidal ideation is a potentially terminal condition that needs to be brought into the light and fought as diligently as we fight terminal cancer. But it is trickier than terminal cancer, because we cannot physically see it like we would a tumor on an MRI. We need to know the risks, signs and signals of suicidal thoughts from a person’s behavior and then be willing to lean in and have tough but potentially life-saving conversations.