The Wall Street Journal reported recently that the “suicide rate among people ages 10 to 24 years old climbed 56% between 2007 and 2017.”

As a CDC statistician said, “When a leading cause of death among our youth is increasing, it behooves all of us to … figure out what’s going on.”

Indeed. It certainly should activate the Church. We must help rescue at-risk youth in our communities.

In this article, my friend Jeremiah Johnston presents a “plan of compassion, prevention, and intervention.”

First, stop the shaming and stigma surrounding suicide. It only leads to isolation. Second, recognize mental illness as a disease. Remember, it’s treatable. Third, talking intelligently about suicide decreases the risk of suicide. Finally, put the Suicide Prevention Lifeline in your phone: 1-800-273-8255.

Download MP3 Audio Here