The statistics are sobering. In 2022, nearly 900 Los Angeles County residents died by suicide.
And suicide is the third-leading cause of death for youth aged 10 to 24 in Los Angeles County, according to health officials.
On Tuesday — World Suicide Prevention Day — L.A. County mental health leaders, educators and experts kicked off the 14th annual summit to prevent suicide and reduce the stigma around getting help. The two-day event at The California Endowment in downtown L.A. will feature personal accounts of suicide interventions, talks on burn-out prevention for providers and more.
In her opening remarks, Dr. Priya Batra, deputy director of the Health Promotion Bureau at the L.A. County Department of Public Health, called suicide a “preventable and significant public health concern.”
She and other speakers noted there are several ways to help, including taking a mental health first aid class, volunteering with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and sometimes just checking in with a phone call or text.
If You Need Immediate Help
“We can’t forget that comprehensive suicide prevention also includes attending to the basic needs of our communities: economic security, … space for arts and healing practices, workplaces that consider mental health and community connectedness,” Batra said.
What the county is doing
- Batra said the county received state funding last year to help medical professionals in county hospitals and emergency rooms better identify suicide attempts, particularly among youth. L.A. County…
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