WASHINGTON – The third-leading cause of death among young people isn’t disease or accident — it’s suicide. And according to the , a suicide happens every 13.7 minutes.
How a community reacts to a teenager taking his or her own life can have profound effects on teens already suffering from a sense of alienation or hopelessness.
Dr. Eric Rossen, director of professional development and standards for the , says there is something called “suicide contagion” that can occur when a teen witnesses the way a community grieves and feels.
“‘Wow, look at all the people paying attention to this other individual
