Here are 7 key takeaways from our reporting:
1. What we found: Reporters Eileen McClory and Samantha Wildow authored this in-depth report on the issue, telling the story of a local mother and her teen son who struggled with suicidal ideation after his father died by suicide. Their story explores contributing factors and explores solutions.
2. Key stat: There are a lot of eye-opening statistics in the story. This one jumped out to me: In Ohio, a 2022-2023 report from OHYES!, a state report on youth, found 37% of kids reported feeling sad or hopeless every day for the past two weeks, an indicator of suicidal ideation. Pre-pandemic, that percentage was 26%.
3. Reporting on suicide: We are cognizant that reporting on suicide must be done responsibly. Here is a story on how the Dayton Daily News approaches reporting on suicide as part of this project.
4. Personal connection: This topic is personal to a lot of people, including one of the lead reporters on the project. Read Samantha’s piece on how a friend’s death by suicide when she was young impacted her life, and why this project is important to her.
5. Charlie’s story: In this story, local teen Charlie Pope bravely tells her story of dealing with mental health challenges and the importance of removing the stigma surrounding it.
6. Getting help: Additional stories in this series include how to talk to your kids about mental health, how to find help for kids in crisis, and a free online resource guide.
7. More to come: On Tuesday, an event at Wright State University sponsored by the Dayton Daily News and other partners will bring together a panel to talk about addressing mental health challenges in the community. Future stories in this project will look at the role of social media in youth mental health, as well as what parents, institutions and the entire community can do to address the problem.
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