YLC Grapples With Youth Mental Health Crisis

Discusses Recent Suicides and Potential Interventions.

January 6, 2025 – LAKE OSWEGO CITY HALL

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, much has been made of the United States’ “loneliness epidemic”: according to the HHS, Americans are more lonely, more depressed, and less socially connected than ever before. This phenomenon is most obviously visible among teenagers, whose rates of poor mental health have spiked: in 2021, 44% of teens reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and teen suicide rates spiked an estimated 27% post-pandemic. At their first meeting of 2025, YLC members were joined by Clackamas County of Public Health officials to discuss how this crisis has manifested in Lake Oswego, and what they might do to be able to help.

They were joined by Galli Murray, suicide prevention coordinator of Clackamas County, Kamryn Brown, public health program planner for Clackamas County, and Lauren Hval, a Portland-based family therapist. Murray, Brown, and Hval gave YLC members the background they needed to have an informed conversation, first introducing them to the structure of County government and public health, then walking them through the relevant data. Breaking into smaller groups, the YLC considered the following prompts:

  • Do you believe there’s a problem in our community?
  • If yes, what do you think it is? What does it look and sound like in our community? Where and when do you see it most? 
  • When did you first realize that the problem/issue existed? 
  • Why does this issue exist? What is causing this? 
  • What is already being done? That works? That doesn’t? 
  • What should we do? What issues are of greatest concern?

Ultimately, the YLC concluded that there was a problem in the community, as there is in so many others, and identified a lack of social connectedness, a mistrust in institutions tasked with providing support, and the pressure of not meeting expectations as potential causes. They expressed a strong desire to give people opportunities to be a part of things, to promote individual wellness, and to educate their peers about methods to help. YLC members left the conversation energized – asking questions about how they could dig deeper into the issue and increase their involvement.  We anticipate this will be a recurrent area of focus for the Youth Leadership Council.

The next Youth Leadership Council meeting will take place on February 3rd, 2025. Information about the Clackamas County Public Health Division can be found here. If you are in crisis, don’t hesitate to call the free, confidential 988 Suicide & Crisis Hotline, available 24/7/365. Applications for the 2025-26 Youth Leadership Council open April 2025; for more information, consult the YLC webpage or follow the YLC Instagram at @loteenlounge.