FILE - The Oregon Department of Human Services building, which houses the Oregon Health Authority offices, in Salem, Ore., March 18, 2017.
Bradley W. Parks / OPB
Oregon has made improvements and brought new services online to help people who are depressed or in crisis, but still needs to do more to address racial disparities in data intended to track the risk and prevalence of youth suicides, according to a new report.
People who are struggling can receive help 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling or texting 988, or by chatting online at 988Lifeline.org. Help is available in Spanish and other languages, and specialized help is available for veterans, for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults, as well as for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Moreover, the state has added 343 suicide prevention trainers, including 67 who can help people who speak languages other than English. And it’s putting in place numerous other programs, including culturally specific ones, according to the report issued by the Oregon Health Authority.
“We have made some progress to create a system of suicide prevention that is better connected and better resourced,” state Behavioral Health Director Ebony Clarke wrote in a letter accompanying the report. “Yet, the tragedy of youth suicide remains. We need to do more, particularly for young people of color.”
Related: Oregon crisis call line could help Native youth survive suicidal thoughts
The state’s suicide prevention team works with volunteer, trainers, community members and the Oregon Alliance to Prevent Suicide. The program’s focus includes tools to help youth, skills training for providers, and training for adults who work with youth to recognize warning signs — albeit there may not be any warning signs.
The report discusses a variety of initiatives that are under way to help, including tribal prevention programs. State officials also work with the Black Youth Suicide Prevention Coalition and with national experts at the Culture & Suicide Prevention Institute, to promote awareness and training in culturally specific risk and protective factors — recognized by federal officials as a best practice.
The report mentions that based on the most recent data available, the number of suicides among Oregon youth who are white have decreased since 2018, but have generally remained the same or increased among youth of color.
Related: Oregon’s Medicaid insurers will redirect $25M in profits to youth mental health needs
Young people generally face more stresses than ever, and yet are particularly vulnerable to negative feelings that sometimes lead to suicidal thoughts, experts say. That’s because of their social status and stages of development. The brain’s prefrontal cortex does not finish developing until the mid-20s, meaning impulsivity and judgment can be an issue.
Moreover, young people generally don’t necessarily have as much practice and support in dealing with and overcoming stress and other external factors — the sort of experience that builds skills and resiliency. Misguided stigmatization can discourage people from seeking help, so the key is helping young people to have the confidence to seek support and “meeting them where they are,” said Emily Moser, director of the YouthLine operated by the nonprofit Lines for Life.
In addition to help offered by the 988 system, Moser noted the YouthLine is staffed by youth and young adults between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily, while adults staff the line at other times of day (Call 877-968-8491, text “teen2teen” to 839863, or chat on OregonYouthLine.org).
“Hope is the key,” she said, “Help is available.”
This story was originally published by The Lund Report, an independent nonprofit health news organization based in Oregon. You can reach Nick Budnick at nick@thelundreport.org or via X @NickBudnick
