fact: youth suicide is preventable

The U.S. is experiencing a mental health crisis like we’ve never seen, and our youth are bearing the brunt of it.

• In 2017, suicide claimed 6,241 lives between the ages of 15 and 24 in the United States.

• The current youth suicide rate — 14.6 per 100,000 — appears to be the highest it’s been since the government began collecting such statistics in 1960.

• For girls and young women, suicide rates have mostly followed a steady upward trajectory since 2000, roughly doubling between then and 2017.

• By 2017, young men between 15 and 19 died by suicide at a rate of 17.9 per 100,000, up from 13 per 100,000 in 2000. 

• The CDC has noted that in 2017, suicide rates in the country’s most rural counties were 80% higher than they were in large metropolitan counties. 

• Suicide is now thought to be the second leading cause of death for Americans between 10 and 34.

We can be the generation that ends youth suicide, but we have to get serious about prevention.

In an evolving world of social media, cyberbullying, and mental health stigma, youth-serving systems are ill-equipped to reach young people who desperately need help. Youth Era is a national nonprofit organization created by youth for youth dedicated to supporting teens and young adults at risk of or experiencing depression, thoughts of suicide, and trauma.

Our mobile crisis response team consists of highly trained young adult staff who specialize in providing support to youth when and where they need it most. With our dedicated crisis and social media teams, we are able to reach youth and provide long-term solutions that traditional systems can't.

reaching the unreachable

Youth suicides happen in every corner of the country, from rural to urban areas, regardless of wealth or poverty. That's why we dispatch teams to affected communities who need support after experiencing the trauma that follows a loss.

Youth Era supports communities who have been affected by suicide. Our services include supporting youth in elementary through college age. Youth Era uses evidence-based practices in our approach to working with communities, schools, and youth including (but not limited to) Positive Youth Development, Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets, and Trauma-Informed Care. When we combine this knowledge with a peer-to-peer delivery approach, we achieve extraordinary results.

Our support and response:

maintains a Stigma aware approach

Everything from the way we market our services to how we provide support is stigma aware.

UTILIZES Social media & mobile messaging

We utilize social media and other technology in our initial outreach to connect youth with the resources and support they need. We also use these tools to keep youth connected long-term.