Did you know suicide is the leading cause of death among Ohio teens and preteens ages 10 to 14 and the second leading cause of death among Ohians ages 15 to 34? Or that the adolescent suicide rate has increased by 56% over the past 10 years? As the statistics indicate, teen suicide was already becoming an increasingly serious issue, but the COVID-19 pandemic has also had a significant impact. Stay-at-home orders & changes in school schedules have created the perfect storm for increased mental health issues & suicide risks in teens.
Ohio AAP has been dedicated to working on this concern since 2015 with the creation of the Store It Safe Teen Program. Store It Safe brought together partners from many sectors, including healthcare providers, injury and mental health experts, and firearms experts with the common goal to prevent suicide in teens through safe storage practices. The program aims to identify teens with mental health concerns, provide appropriate interventions, and create barriers to the most lethal means for suicide.
Are you wondering how you can help support teen mental health and suicide prevention on World Suicide Prevention Day and beyond? At this year’s 2020 Annual Meeting, we will be hosting a virtual fundraiser to support the Store It Safe Program. This is such an important and timely message that we have recently made the decision to make the event FREE for all to attend. We want everyone to have the means to join and learn more about teen mental health and safe storage practices to prevent suicide. Additional event details and registration link below!
The SIS Teen Fundraiser is also a part of our larger Annual Meeting which will be an all virtual format this year. But this will not be your typical Zoom call – we are planning innovative ways to keep connected, entertained and educated throughout the conference! We also know this is a challenging time for our members, which is why we have made registration FREE FOR OHIO AAP MEMBERS. You won’t want to miss out!