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EDITORIAL: Good steps for providing mental-health support Marin youth need

Marin Independent Journal - 10/12/2021

Oct. 9—A new report on the mental health challenges facing Marin's youth should be heeded.

The county report sounds an alarm that needs to be heard; that there is a disproportionately higher rate of youth with suicidal thoughts or mental health incidents in our community.

If that data and conclusion are not enough, consider the additional stress teens and other youth must face after months of COVID-19 lockdowns and not being able to attend school and participate in activities with others.

There is also a growing concern about how popular social media applications such as Facebook and Instagram foster suicidal thoughts, eating disorders and negative body image among teens, particularly girls.

Even though Marin's rates have dropped, the county still has one of the highest rates of suicide — among both youth and adults — in the Bay Area.

The Marin County Suicide Prevention Collaborative is a local working group of suicide survivors, those who have suffered loss and counselors. It is already working with many local schools to provide avenues that reach out to troubled youth and provide them the help they need — help that can save their lives.

Many who have struggled with emotional or psychological problems have said that connecting with others has helped them lift themselves away from thoughts of taking their own lives.

Those connections often remind them that they don't have to deal with their pain alone.

There are others ready and willing to help. Some have dealt with the same feelings.

As a community, it is imperative that we provide such help.

Widening awareness that there is help, by phone hotlines or Marin's text network, can also save lives, providing that mental-help life ring that youngsters need.

Marin's higher rate of teen suicides has also heightened awareness at each school, with many providing additional training for teachers to identify possible signs of trouble and establishing drop-in counseling on campus.

A big step has been working to reduce the stigma that might prevent youth or adults from seeking help.

The objective is providing help to save lives — to give people hope and help before they conclude there is none.

The statistics released by the county both show improvement and a critical challenge.

Continued response and digient reaction to those numbers are making a difference and deserve continued community support.

Jei Africa, director of the county Behavioral Health and Recovery Services, said it well in the report's introduction.

"Taking care of each other, staying connected, and talking openly about suicide and mental health can be lifesaving when someone is in distress," he wrote. "While it is not always easy, it is not impossible either."

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(c)2021 The Marin Independent Journal (Novato, Calif.)

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