Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
In 2017, the suicide rate in the US was at an almost 30-year high and was the second leading cause of death from age 10 to 34.
Young people are prone to suicide contagion. The media, when it romanticizes self-injury or suicide, can inspire copycats.
Movies and television series don’t often address the fact that there’s nothing positive or worthwhile about suicide. Even if they did, it’s unlikely that children or teens would truly hear the message.
One suicide impacts about 135 people.
People who know a suicide victim are nearly twice as likely to develop suicidal thoughts as the general population and the younger the person, the greater the risk.
If a story about suicide is currently on television or at the movie theaters, be aware and take steps to have candid conversations about suicide and its aftermath. Don’t hide from this.
Claudia
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