| Description |
"Life Elevated", the marketing catch phrase to attract tourists, is an appropriate description of living in Utah. Red rock deserts, alpine forests, and snow capped mountains provide unmatched opportunities for year round recreation. But not even the greatest snow on earth can cover the troubling trend of youth suicide in Utah. Suicide is currently the number one cause of death among youth ages 10-17 in Utah (Utah Suicide Prevention Coalition [USPC],; 2017). From 2011-2015, 150 children died by suicide, which was a 141% increase from the previous 4 years (Utah Department of Health [UDOH], 2017). The Student Health and Risk Prevention (SHARP) survey found that 14.4% of Utah youth grades 6-12 reported seriously considering suicide, with 6.7% attempting suicide one or more times (USPC, 2017). The same survey, two years later, found that nearly 20% of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders reported having considered suicide during the past year (UDOH, 2017). These alarming statistics warranted investigation, research, and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to aid the Utah Department of Health in formulating a plan of action to reduce suicide rates in Utah by 10% by 2021, with the "ultimate goal of zero suicides in Utah" (USPC, 2015). |
