Title
Mr. Schmerelson - Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month 2026 (Res-005-26/27)
description
Whereas, Suicide loss profoundly impacts families, friends, teachers, and the entire school community, and providing comprehensive support to survivors is essential for healing and preventing future tragedies;
Whereas, In 2024, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stated that suicide was responsible for 48,824 deaths across the United States, with an estimated 14.3 million adults seriously considering suicide, 4.6 million planning to attempt, and 2.2 million attempting;
Whereas, In 2024, the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report for October 10 reported that adolescent mental health and suicide risk remains a “substantial public health concern,” with 39.7% of students experiencing persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness; 28.5% experiencing poor mental health, 20.4% seriously considering attempting suicide, and 9.5% had attempted it;
Whereas, The CDC’s Risk Behavior Survey had not been updated since 2023 and was deleted or publicly unavailable by the federal government, potentially harming state and local governments from assessing the needs of younger citizens and residents until a court order demanded the data and webpages be restored in February 2025;
Whereas, The CDC has stopped publishing data on transgender Americans to comply with Executive Order 14168, potentially leaving the CDC as an unreliable source of information and an undercount of suicide rates for LGBTQ+ communities;
Whereas, In 2026, the CDC Mental Health Data Channel reported that death by suicide is the leading cause of death among youth and adults in the US, with half of them having a history of a known diagnosed mental health condition but the other half having no diagnosis and may be underreported;
Whereas, Factors such as discrimination, adverse childhood experiences, stigma, familial and community rejection, mental illness, social networks, and other factors that comprom...
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