Katharine Welby, daughter of Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has called on Christians to ‘do more’ to end the stigma of mental illness in the Church. Speaking candidly about her own battle with depression, Welby told The Daily Telegraph: ‘I can sit there and think of suicide very logically, the consequences of it, and seriously plan it and work out the what, why and how.’
Despite being high on the news agenda in the past few months, statistics show that suicide attempts among teens are on the decrease. A 2011 report by the Samaritans found that the number of people who committed suicide per 100,000 people was lower in the 15-19 age group (the youngest demographic measured) than in any other. According to poverty.org, suicides in the 15-24 age range dropped by over a third between 1999 and 2009.
Youth workers are encouraged by Samaritans not to avoid talking to young people about suicide, advising that ‘Once someone starts talking and exploring their feelings and worst fears they have a greater chance of discovering options other than suicide.’
