September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. So let's talk about it.
Suicide is the third most common cause of death for those between ages 15-19.1 More than a third of teens report that they experience or experienced poor mental health during the pandemic. And 44% of teens say that they "persistently felt sad or hopeless during the past year".2 Take the time to advocate for better mental health and break the stigma of mental illness.
If you or someone you know needs to talk right now:
| 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline | call 988 text "RENEW" to 741741 |
| SAMHSA’s National Helpline | 1-800-662-HELP (4357) TTY: 1-800-487-4889 |
| Santa Clara County Suicide & Crisis Hotline | 1-855-278-4204 |
| California Coalition for Youth | call or text 800-843-5200 |
Want to talk, but it's not an emergency?
| Mental Health Association of SF | 1-855-845-7415 online chat |
| NAMI Santa Clara County | 408-453-0400 option 1 Mon-Fri, 10 am to 6 pm |
For a more complete list of other organizations you can call, check out our resource guide here.
For book suggestions that normalize and talk about mental health:
Books about depression, anxiety, OCD and other mental health issues. Do you need help or know someone who does? Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [online]. [Feb 17, 2022]. Available from URL: www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Adolescent and School Health. New CDC data illuminate youth mental health threats during the COVID-19 pandemic. [March 31, 2022]. Available from URL: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0331-youth-mental-health-covid-19.html
