Centennial State News

Children's Hospital Colorado Child Health Champions encourage anyone who is struggling with suicidal thoughts or knows someone who is to reach out. 

September is Suicide Prevention Month. Suicide is a leading cause of death among Colorado children.

According to Children's Hospital Colorado, suicide is the primary cause of death for kids ages 10 to 14 in Colorado, with more children dying from suicide than accidental deaths. One-third of Colorado high school students say they feel sad and hopeless, 17% admitted to considering suicide and 7% actually made an attempt. That is 7 in every 100 kids or more than 1 in 20. 

“And very often, kids who are struggling don’t go to parents first. They go to peers,” psychologist Laura Anthony, Ph.D., said. “But it’s a secret, and so then kids feel like it would be a betrayal to tell an adult. But really it’s a betrayal not to. It’s a betrayal not to try to save their lives.”

Other organizations spoke out on this issue. 

"September is #suicidepreventionmonth. Suicide is a leading cause of death among Colorado youth ages 10-24. You are not alone. If you or someone you know needs support call/text 988 or call 1-844-493-8255 or text “TALK” to 38255," Children's Champions said in a post to its Facebook account. 

In 2020, Colorado had the seventh highest suicide mortality rate in the country at 21.5 per 100,000, according to the CDC, up nearly 57% since the turn of the century. Preliminary data from 2022 shows that the suicide rate for Colorado reached the fifth highest in the country, according to World Population Review. Dr. Laura Anthony advised adults and friends to be on the lookout for the following warning signs in children: Withdrawing from friends or activities that they used to love, increasing use of alcohol or drugs, no longer striving for goals, engaging in self-harm or struggling to concentrate, according to Gold Crown Foundation.