Choose a population (Youth Suicide) that is unfamiliar to you, something outside of you comfort zone.

How will you approach the issues discussed with your chosen population?

What challenges do you expect, and what changes do you see in your outlook already?

Reference: https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Kids-Teens-and-Young-Adults/What-You-Need-to-Know-About-Youth-Suicide

Let's first talk about adolescence. This is a very long, and very important period of development and today's adolescents are facing and conquering changes at a high rate. This is from the National Alliance on Metal Illness (NAMI): Suicidal thoughts are common among teens and young adults. In fact, about 11% of young adults (ages 18-25) report that they've had serious thoughts about suicide, and about 1-2% report a suicide attempt during the prior year. These numbers are higher among high school students nearly 20% report serious thoughts about suicide and 9% - report a suicide attempt. Among young adults 15-24 years old in the U.S., the rate of death by suicide in 2019 was about 14 per 100,000 people - slightly higher than one suicide for every 10,000 people in this age group. Youth who identify as LGBTQI+ are also at a higher risk for suicide than the general population. Encouragingly, states that have passed same-sex marriage laws have seen rates of adolescent suicide drop by 7%. The association between the laws and a lower suicide risk was concentrated among students who identified as "sexual minorities" showing evidence that laws supporting the LGBTQI community also help prevent youth suicide. (What you need to know about youth suicide. n.d.) According to the World Health Organization, nearly 14% of teens were active drinkers in 2016 and the number was growing. Globally, only 20% of adolescents meet the WHO's requirements of 60 minutes of exercise a day, and almost the same percentage is overweight. It does not appear that these numbers will improve in our immediate future.