As September marks Suicide Prevention Month, care teams at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt are raising awareness around an urgent mental health concern affecting Tennessee youth.
Amid a backdrop of increasing suicide-related emergency department visits among youth across the state, Monroe Carell experts are informing parents and caregivers about signs of distress to look for in children and adolescents.
Recent data underscores the growing need to address the mental health crisis among youth in Tennessee, where a state report released in May revealed that the suicide rate among youth, ages 10-17, increased 47% from 2019 to 2023, with 6.6 youth deaths per 100,000 population.
“With suicide continuing be the second leading cause of death among youth ages 10-14 and the third leading cause for people ages 15-24, it is critical that we raise awareness and continue the conversation about how to support our youth,” said Heather Kreth, PsyD, a clinical pediatric psychologist at Monroe Carell and associate professor of Pediatrics. “The more we have these conversations, the more we encourage youth to discuss their feelings and ask for help.”
One recent week of data was particularly concerning. During Aug. 10-16, data released from the Tennessee Department of Health revealed there were 257 suicide-related emergency department visits among youth (ages 5-17) reported across multiple Tennessee counties, including Davidson County — marking a staggering 49% increase compared to the previous week.
Monroe Carell has been committed to better identifying and caring for youth at risk for suicide, and in 2023, signed on to the national Zero Suicide Institute initiative. The Zero Suicide Institute provides health and behavioral health systems a practical framework and resources for system-wide transformation toward safer suicide care.
There has been a growing mental health crisis among children and adolescents in Tennessee, where the suicide death rate among youth (ages 5-17) is 13.6% higher than the national average. Tennessee is part of what has become increasingly known as the “suicide belt” in the U.S., a region with disproportionately high rates of suicide across the mid-section of the country (West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona and Nevada).
Kreth said there can be a variety of reasons why we see increases in distress among youth, including a return to school.
“We can see seasonal increases,” she said. “With back-to-school time, we can certainly see an increase in stress, especially as children settle back into expectations around school. This stress can be incredibly overwhelming.”
So what do parents need to know? Warning signs that a child may be at risk for suicide can include:
- Making statements about not wanting to be alive or indicating self-harm
- Changes in sleeping and eating patterns
- The child is withdrawn – maybe not taking part in activities they used to enjoy.
- Trouble with completing day-to-day functions, like going to school
- Giving away personal belongings
- Problems focusing
- Acting out or running away
Kreth said concerned parents or caregivers should reach out to their pediatrician, and for more urgent care, bring the child to an emergency room. Parents can also help protect their children in a time of crisis by ensuring that any firearms in the home are securely stored and that medications are locked away.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, immediate help is available. Contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 or visiting www.988lifeline.org.
