One in 13 young adults, or about 2.6 million Americans between the age of 18 and 25 years, seriously contemplated suicide in 2013–2014, says a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

According to SAMHSA Principal Deputy Administrator Kana Enomoto, “Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among young adults, and it is preventable.”

She said that it is important to reach out to the young people and to assure them of available help and to promote effective programs to save lives by treating people at risk. According to another expert, even if help is available, more steps need to be taken.

The report based on 2013–2014 federal data revealed significant differences in rates of “serious suicidal thoughts” among young adults across various states. The highest rate of such “serious suicidal thoughts” was noticed in New Hampshire at 10.3 percent, while the lowest 6.2 percent was reported from Texas.

Among the states that recorded high rates of serious suicidal thoughts included Alaska, Indiana, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon and Utah. The states that recorded low rates included Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, Georgia, Kansas and the District of Columbia.

“Breaking down barriers regarding mental health, improving access to mental health services, better parental involvement and increasing awareness of crisis intervention hotlines are all necessary,” said Dr. Robert Dicker, who directs child and adolescent psychiatry at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, NY.

It is difficult to ascertain the causes for this difference among the states. Dicker said, “Perhaps it may be due to state differences in family fragmentation, differing rates of substance use, depression, economic issues impacting more in some states, differing access to treatment services.”

The report also found that the national rate of serious suicidal thoughts among young adults remained the same between 2012–2013 and 2013–2014. Barring New Hampshire, where it rose from 8.4 percent to 10.3 percent, the rate was same in other states.

The initiative has been lauded by certain quarters for highlighting the gravity of the situation and the prevalence of the problem. The report brings to light that effective mental health treatment and responding to emergencies are all in place, when it comes to the young adults and the people at large. And this additional and expanded awareness throughout the country is only going to add to the benefits.

Important to build awareness

Raising awareness and reading the signs of an impending suicide by somebody can be a huge stride towards suicide prevention. The American Association of Suicidology states that warning signs could be thinking or talking about killing oneself; increased abuse of alcohol or drugs; a sense of purposelessness or hopelessness; or withdrawal from friends, family or other social contacts.

These warning signs should be closely monitored in somebody from the family. Other signs include, uncontrolled anger, recklessness or significant mood changes.

Recovery road map

Mental health conditions should not be overlooked and left untreated, as symptoms could soon exacerbate, making it difficult for the patient to recover. Even a minor depression can snowball into a major mental health condition later. However, treatment is possible and with timely intervention, depression can be managed. There are reliable depression treatment centers which can help people grappling with depression.

If you have somebody suffering from depression and you are scouting for depression treatment centers in Arizona, contact the Arizona Depression Helpline. Call at our 24/7 helpline number 866–233–3895 to connect to the best depression treatment centers in Arizona where treatment is comprehensive and recovery long-term.