September 7, 2001

"Good morning, and thank you all for joining us this morning. Let me first begin by saying that I wish we could be here this morning examining a different aspect of the lives of young people. I wish this hearing was not necessary. I mean that. I wish that the problem of teen and young adult suicide did not exist. Obviously, we all wish that teen and young adult suicide did not rob us of thousands of young people each year. Sadly, that is not the case.

"And while I wish that this hearing was not necessary, I am heartened by the fact that so many of you thought it important enough to attend. I am aware that many in our audience today have been personally devastated by the loss of someone very dear to you that chose to take their own life. While I can never do anything to replace your great loss, I do want to thank you for being here and lending your support to an effort that I hope will culminate in concrete measures that we can take to combat the terrible problem of teen young adult suicide.

"It saddens me to report that my own hometown of East Haddam, Connecticut was devastated on May 1 of last year when two young men - both just in their early teens - chose to take their own lives by driving their vehicle into a tree in the town center. Even more tragically, one of the young men had lost his brother in a car accident at that very sight one year earlier. Despondent about his brother's death, this young man sadly felt that he could no longer bear the pain of his brother's loss and in death chose to share with his brother the place where he died. Unfortunately, these boys, like seven out of ten children that kill themselves, shared their plans with friends. Yet no one felt comfortable enough to speak to an adult to try to prevent this tragedy. More than a year later, East Haddam is still struggling to cope with this tragedy. I look forward to hearing from a young man later this morning that represents a promising youth suicide prevention program that is just gaining momentum in East Haddam.

"As I began to first look at this problem, I was alarmed to see the disturbing trends in teen and young adult suicide. The numbers are simply staggering. In 1998, more teenagers and young adults died of suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia and influenza, and chronic lung disease combined. For young people aged 15 - 24 years old, suicide is the third leading cause of death, behind unintentional injury and homicide.

"Between 1952 and 1995, the incidence of suicide among adolescents and young adults nearly tripled. Unbelievably, more than 1.2 million American teenagers each year attempt to end their lives. This is unacceptable.

"A look at suicide across the life-span is just as alarming. Every 17 minutes someone dies by suicide in the United States. Suicide claims the lives of more than 30,000 Americans each year -- more then 80 lives are lost each day. In 1998 there were almost twice as many suicides than there were homicides. Again, the numbers are just staggering.

"And while each and every suicide represents a tragedy, the death of a child or young adult due to suicide not only represents a tragic and irreparable loss, but also represents the loss of that young person's future. Graduations, marriage, children, and so many more of the things that enrich our lives in so many ways are all lost forever when a young person dies by their own hand.

"I feel comfortable stating that there are few among us here this morning that has not had someone we care deeply about -- whether a family member or a friend -- affected by some form of mental illness. Research tells us that a psychiatric diagnosis is evident in more than 90 percent of all suicides. Clearly, we cannot discuss suicide without addressing the vital components of mental health. However, as we know all to well, there is an unfortunate stigma attached to mental health issues and an even greater stigma attached to suicide. This is unfortunate and that is why I applaud the work of Senators Wellstone and Domenici for their efforts to ensure that mental health achieves parity with physical health. It is my hope that these efforts will diminish the stigma attached to mental health and suicide and allow those that are troubled to seek help and those that care about them to better offer assistance. We must break this code of silence and work to eradicate suicide's unfortunate stigma.

"We must also ensure that less young people look for what they might view as a "permanent solution" -- their own death by suicide -- to what is often a temporary and treatable problem, such as depression. While we all face difficult times in our lives, young people are often unable to see that these difficult periods often will soon pass. We must instill in our young people a sense of their own importance and value. Too often young people on the verge of suicide lose sight of the love and caring felt for them by their mothers and fathers, their brothers and sisters, and their friends and communities. Too often, the desire to end their own pain shields them from knowing how much they are cared for, how much they will be missed, and how much their death will affect their loved ones.

"I am committed to ensuring that valuable research in the area of suicide and suicide prevention -- particularly that research conducted by U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, who we will hear from shortly -- is effectively translated into applicable initiatives that reach our young people. We will hear this morning from some of the leading researchers in this area. However, if we do not translate this research into effective programs, we risk losing more and more of our children to suicide.

"I look forward to hearing from today's witnesses and to participating in a thoughtful dialogue about how best to ensure that no young person loses such hope that they view their own death as the only solution to their problems. Suicide knows no socioeconomic boundaries. Suicide does not recognize the color of our skin. Suicide does not respect one's age. Suicide cuts across all of these factors and leaves in its tragic wake heartbreak, grief, and devastating loss. And while some may view this discussion as futile or macabre in subject, it is my belief that this hearing's message is one of hope - offering promise that we can better understand the causes of youth suicide so that we can prevent our children from turning to this tragic option."

Multimedia:
View pictures from the hearing