This is why I want to be a counselor.

There are so many people hurting, and it breaks my heart.

Statistics:

• 20% of teens will experience depression before adulthood.
• 8.3% of teens suffer from depression for at least a year at a time.
• 20-40% of teens will have more than 1 episode within 2 years.
• 70% of teens will have more than 1 episode before adulthood.
• 2% of teens will have dysthymia.
• 15% of teens with depression eventually develop bipolar disorder.
• 20-50% of teens who suffer from depression have a family member who does as well.
• 30% of depressed teens also develop a substance abuse problem.
• Less than 33% of teens with depression get help.
• 19.3% of high school students have considered killing themselves.
• 14.5% of high school students have made actual plans.
• Girls think about suicide twice as much as boys, but boys are four times more likely to die by suicide.
• 60% of all suicides in the US are by gun.
• 1% of the US population have self-abusive behavior.
• 1 in every 200 girls between 15-19 years old cut themselves regularly.
• Among people between the ages of 15-24, there are 100-200 suicide attempts for every 1 suicide completed.
• About 1 in 3 people who self-harm for the first time will do it again.
• 3 in 100 people who self-harm over 15 years will kill themselves.

If you or someone else you know is thinking about suicide, TALK TO SOMEONE. If you feel like you have no one to talk to, call 1-800-273-TALK for 24 hour suicide prevention and support.

References:

http://www.helpguide.org/mental/depression_teen.htm

http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/depression.html#

http://www.teendepression.org/stats/teenage-depression-statistics/

http://teensuicidestatistics.com/statistics-facts.html

http://www.teenhelp.com/teen-health/cutting-stats-treatment.html

http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/Suicide_DataSheet-a.pdf\

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealthinfo/problems/depression/self-harm.aspx