According to area mental health experts, teen suicide is more than a public health problem; it’s a crisis.

The average number of people who take their own lives each year in Island County is greater than that of Washington state, which in turn is greater than the national average.

So too, the percentage of Island County youth who have contemplated suicide is higher than both the state and national averages, even among pre-teens.

According to a 2014 county-wide Healthy Youth Survey, in Island County, 3.5 percent more sixth graders and 2.3 percent more 10th graders had considered taking their own lives within the past 12 months, compared to the statewide average.

Tthe survey found that 18.5 percent of sixth graders, 17 percent of eighth graders, 22.8 percent of tenth graders and 23 percent of 12th graders had considered suicide within the previous year.

Nearly 20 percent of respondents said they did not have a parent or trusted adult they felt comfortable confiding in.

In response to these findings, suicide among youth was identified as one of the four main areas of concentration to be included in a community health improvement plan for Island County.

It was also the topic of the most recent installment of Sno-Isle Libraries’ “Issues That Matter” initiative, the goal of which is to promote the discussion and understanding of difficult topics that impact the community.

Earlier this month, Rena Fitzgerald, program manager for Care Crisis Chat run by Volunteers of America — Western Washington, was one of four panelists and one moderator to take part in a forum on teen suicide held earlier this month at the Oak Harbor Library.

Other panelists included Megan LaPlante, Miss Washington High School America 2016 winner and Monroe High School student; Charlene Ray, mental health supervisor/school-based mental health program coordinator for Island County Human Services; and Catherine VanWetter, a mental health specialist at the University of Washington, who also coordinates with the Island County Health Department.

Sarri Gilman, author and psychotherapist, moderated the discussion.

Although there was discussion of statistical data regarding the suicide rate of Snohomish and Island County teens, much of the conversation centered upon what factors may be contributing to such high rates of suicidal ideation, and what could be done.

“We are definitely seeing more depression and anxiety than ever before,” Ray said.

Ray clarified that this refers to clinical depression, rather than the “normal” emotional down points of adolescence, such as that following a breakup.

She explained the reason for that could be any number of things, including but not limited to increased stress levels, economic hardship, instability in the home or family conflict.

She and other panelists also stressed the close correlation between bullying and depression and suicide.

Overlying all of the above, Ray cited a general lack of hope among today’s young people as a major factor.

In Snohomish County, 13 teens died by suicide in the 2014-15 academic year. That’s more than double the number of previous years, which had been recorded as between one and six per year.

From the Island County Public Health Department, Ray cited that 10 young people in the 15-24 year-old range killed themselves between 2009-2013.

The issue is not unique to the Pacific Northwest, however, as the nationwide suicide rate among both youth and adults has steadily increased since 1999.

Nationwide, the suicide rate increased by 24 percent over 15 years, rising from an average of 10.5 per 100,000 people in 1999 to 13 per 100,000 in 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Prior to 1999, the national average suicide rate had been steadily declining year after year.

“I feel that we live in a culture that puts a cover over emotions, and somehow weak isn’t normal. Or people at times have situational depression. Some people are highly sensitive and take in the world in ways that we can’t imagine,” said VanWetter.

Panelists emphasized the importance of listening deeply and taking a teen’s mention of depression or suicide seriously.

Fitzgerald also noted that it is best to address the issue directly. Saying the word “suicide” and asking forthright if someone has been contemplating killing themselves will not put the idea in their head. If asked in a non-threatening manner, it can actually open the door for a young person to discuss their feelings, she said.

“If we look at the big picture we’re all going to be overwhelmed and hopeless. But if we look at it as the person in front of us, the teenager in front of us, and we really talk to them and really listen to them, you have no idea what a difference that makes,” Ray said.

“It takes a community to come together. We are all the solution,” VanWetter said.

More information, including warning signs and advice, can be found at http://suicideprevention.nv.gov/Youth/WhatYouCanDo