Kennedy in The Hill: Congress should come together to address young adult suicide

WASHINGTON - Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) penned this op-ed in The Hill arguing that Congress should take action to address the persistently high suicide rate among young adults in America.

Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:

"If you only read the headlines each day, you could miss one of the most serious challenges facing American communities: Suicide has become the second leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 24. It's one of those statistics that makes me reach for the sick bucket.

"Almost every community in America has a heartbreaking story to tell about how they have lost a young man or woman with bottomless potential to suicide. Sadly, the epidemic of young adult suicide is only getting worse."

. . .

"The government can't fix the academic pressures and social isolation that are so prevalent among young Americans. We need families, friends and faith leaders to do that. But Congress can do more to ensure that every college student in America knows that they can have a confidential and free conversation with a counselor if they ever find themselves in a dark place.

"That's why Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and I introduced the Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act. This bill would require colleges and universities to list the 988 number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on each student's identification card. This is one small way to ensure that students know that there are free and confidential counselors waiting to take their calls when they are struggling with their mental health, substance abuse, or any other emotional distress."

. . .

"Every young American has the potential to change our country for the better. It makes me sick to think that 2 percent of our young people have reached a place of such hopelessness that they've considered harming themselves. We must do more to guarantee that every student sees the important role they play in keeping America the freest, most prosperous nation on Earth."

Read Kennedy's op-ed here.

Text of the Improving Mental Health Access for Students Act is available here.