To curb surge in deaths by suicide among Black youth, NCDHHS launches action plan

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- There are renewed efforts by state mental health experts to get potentially life-saving resources to those who need them most.

According to the NCDHHS, rates of suicide and suicidal thoughts in Black kids are surging across the state, leading them to release a new action plan with hopes of reversing that trend.

Recent NCDHHS analysis found that around 16.9% of Black high school students and 36.6% of Black middle school students reported experiencing serious thoughts of suicide, and that Black kids are overrepresented in suicides and attempts but underrepresented in calls to the 988 Lifeline.

The agency's six-objective plan lays out specific goals to combat suicide and suicidal ideation in young Black people, including strengthening mental health resources, reducing access to firearms and lethal weapons, and improving awareness.

"The urgency is now," said the NCDHHS' Kelly Crosbie, who helped author the plan. "We don't want one more child to harm themselves, or one more child to think about not being here anymore. So I think it's a pretty assertive plan."

Missy Wright knows well the pain associated with suicide. Wright's daughter, 18-year-old Asia Babbitt, died by suicide in 2015 while in her freshman year at Bennett College. That ordeal left her family shaken but determined to raise awareness, including through Missy's foundation, "Forever My Asia."

"As soon as my daughter passed away, I prayed to God. And what he wanted me to do, he said, he wanted me to bring awareness to mental health," Wright said on Wednesday.

ABC11 spoke with Wright about the new efforts from state mental health leaders and how they hope it might make a difference.

"I'm so happy that they're taking mental health seriously. I see it every day. Every single day is not a day that doesn't go by that someone don't call my phone either, apparently, or, you know, young adult and wanting to take their life," she said.

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The new plan also seeks what's called COPE -- The Community of Practice and Education -- that champions suicide prevention efforts in Black kids. According to Mark Simon, Executive Director of NAMI Wake County, part of the struggle on this issue surrounds the major barriers to care for Black children and the stigma around it.

"There's lack of culturally competent care that is important for Black and POC youth. There's systemic racism, identity-based biases that may cause stress and things like that," Simon said.

Simon told ABC11 he's encouraged by the action plan.

"There's a lot of uncertainty around the world right now, which is really affecting people of color. So to see and to see the state taking interest and making recent, you know, investments in this work is really important," he said.