CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- West suburban Congresswoman Lauren Underwood is sponsoring legislation meant to help combat the rise in child suicides across the country.
Congresswoman Lauren Underwood, 14th District, said suicides among young people increased by 50 percent from 2007 to 2017.
"By 2017, suicide was the second leading cause of death for young people aged 10 to 24. The COVID-19 pandemic threatens to accelerate these alarming and tragic trends," she said.
So, she’s sponsoring legislation to provide training and resources for healthcare professionals to better spot and help young people in crisis.
She was joined outside Lurie Children’s Hospital by Grace Hammond, a youth advocate with the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
"I've been diagnosed with anxiety, depression, and ADHD, but I am also someone who has been through suicidal ideation and all the haunting thoughts that come with that. I am standing here today in full support of what Congresswoman Underwood is doing with Child Suicide Prevention and Lethal Means Safety Act," Hammond said.
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At Lurie Children’s Hospital, medical personnel, like ER Dr. Jennifer Hoffman, are trained to look for signs of children who might be depressed or considering suicide.
"Our teams work to provide preventive mental healthcare and early intervention," Dr. Hoffman said.
But, Naperville Congresswoman Underwood said that doesn’t happen everywhere, but it should.
"Our nurses, our doctors and mental health professionals have told me how desperately they need training and resources to be able to identify and respond to the warning signs for suicide among their young patients, and my legislation would fill that critical need," Underwood said.
Her bill is called the Child Suicide Prevention and Lethal Means Safety Act, and it’s gaining support.
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