• 1 OUT OF EVERY 5 YOUNG PEOPLE AND 1 OUT OF EVERY 4 COLLEGE STUDENTS OR ADULTS SUFFERS FROM SOME FORM OF DIAGNOSABLE MENTAL ILLNESS ^[9]
• ABOUT 19% OF YOUNG PEOPLE CONTEMPLATE OR ATTEMPT SUICIDE EACH YEAR ^[1]
• SUICIDE IS THE THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG PEOPLE AGES 15-24, AND THE SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN COLLEGE STUDENTS AGES 20-24 ^[1]
• OVER 66% OF YOUNG PEOPLE WITH A SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER HAVE A CO-OCCURRING MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEM ^[2]
• TEENS DIAGNOSED WITH DEPRESSION ARE FIVE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO ATTEMPT SUICIDE THAN ADULTS ^[7]
• OVER 2/3 OF YOUNG PEOPLE DO NOT TALK ABOUT OR SEEK HELP FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS ^[6]
• 44% OF AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS REPORTED FEELING SYMPTOMS OF DEPRESSION ^[8]
• FROM 1980-1986, THE SUICIDE RATE FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALES AGES 15-19 INCREASED MORE THAN 100% ^[3]
• 4 OUT OF EVERY 5 YOUNG PEOPLE THAT CONTEMPLATE OR ATTEMPT SUICIDE EXHIBIT CLEAR WARNING SIGNS ^[4]
• 80-90% OF PEOPLE THAT SEEK THE NECESSARY FORM OF MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT CAN FUNCTION THE WAY THEY USED TO ^[2]
• STEREOTYPES ARE ONE OF THE LARGEST BARRIERS PREVENTING YOUNG PEOPLE FROM SEEKING THE HELP THEY NEED ^[2]
• AN ESTIMATED 5 MILLION YOUNG FEMALES SUFFER FROM EATING DISORDERS EACH YEAR AND EATING DISORDERS ARE THE DEADLIEST MENTAL ILLNESS CLAIMING MORE LIVES THAN ANY OTHER ILLNESS ^[4]

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All statistics have been provided by: ^[1.] NYU Child Study Center; ^[2.] The Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health; ^[3.] The Center for Disease Control; ^[4.] the N.M.H.A.; ^[5.] A.F.S.P.; ^[6.] American Journal of Psychiatry, 10/02; ^[7.] Journal of American Medical Association. 5/12/99; ^[8.] The Wall Street Journal ^[9.] National Institute of Mental Health