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#1 Cause of Death for Youth: Suicide
The Archangels Address the Tragedy
Were you aware that the number one cause of death in people between the ages of 15–24 is suicide? It used to be unintentional accidents, such as car wrecks, but suicide leads the list now, according to the CDC. That’s pretty scary to me.
Most of us are at our most social while in this age group, or at least that’s been my experience. I would think when COVID hit, everything shutting down would have been especially difficult for our youth.
My daughter teaches high school, and she was so sad for her seniors who did not celebrate their graduation when everything was shut down. That has been such a traditional milestone for so long, so of course, they felt the hit deeply. I think even more so, they had little to no contact with their friends or others their age, and that had a major effect on their emotional health. Remember when you were a kid, even when you were no longer excited to go back to school for learning purposes, you always looked forward to seeing all your friends again. When you’re a kid, friends are among the most important people in your life.
A reader emailed me a while back and asked me to ask the Archangels about the rise in teenage suicide over the years, and I did. Their answer follows.