Young people are the most vulnerable humans when it comes to suicide. Suicide is also the second-leading cause of death among people age 15 to 24 in the U.S. Nearly 20% of high school students report serious thoughts of suicide and 9% have made an attempt to take their lives, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Carl Fleisher, MD, who specialises in adolescent and child psychiatry at UCLA Health says that; “young people are particularly vulnerable to suicide.”
“Teenagers and young adults have the highest rates of suicide compared to other ages,” Dr. Fleisher says. “The things that make them vulnerable are where they stand socially and where they stand developmental,” he adds.
However, that could change as Panda has launched an app to help fight mental illness.
The mental health app, Panda for Teens is a safe app created for teens and adults to find community-based and professional support, share thoughts with others of similar ages, and access resources related to mental health.
Allan Sweidan, Panda app’s chief science officer says when teens use Panda app, they will have access to all existing Panda app features, including a library of mental health resources and the option to arrange one-on-one sessions with a mental health professional. They will also be able to attend and participate in Forest sessions focused on teen-specific concerns.
The Forest is an app-based virtual support platform moderated by mental health professionals. Teens who use this app can listen in on Forest sessions and speak freely and anonymously about their experiences. For teens, Forest sessions are live and given in audio and text-only formats, which helps those who would like to remain anonymous while taking part in sessions.
Dr. Fleisher urges people to talk more about depression and suicide as it does not encourage self-harm. He also stated the importance of checking in on one another.
“What doesn’t seem to increase risk of suicide is talking about the importance of mental health, talking about the importance of reaching out to people who are struggling, or if you’re struggling, reaching out for help,” Dr. Fleisher says.
“Talking about suicide in general and talking about depression is not going to make things worse.”
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