Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
As of 2019, suicide has become the second leading cause of death among 10-19 year olds in the U.S., and the COVID-19 pandemic isn't helping, so today, more than ever, it is necessary to ensure the mental health of this group, who daily face the ravages of a changing world.
With this in mind, and so that people can more easily detect the warning signs of a possible suicide, a family from Anaheim shared their story, where they recount the loss of their 14-year-old son.
Adriana and Rodney Moore never imagined that their 14-year-old son would take his own life, as the young man was healthy, social, active, loved animals and loved to play his saxophone, according to NBC Bay Area.
The COVID-19 pandemic changed everything, isolation and distance learning led Rodney Moore Jr. to drop his grades. He slowly lost hope as he was unable to return to face-to-face classes this month.
"No other parent should have to go through this," said Adriana, mother of Rodney Moore Jr. "You should never have to say goodbye to your children. You should go before your children."
"Every time we close our eyes, we see how we find him," he said.
Adriana recalled her son constantly saying, "I don't see the point. Nothing is going to get better."
For Rodney Jr.'s father, the things his son was saying made him think things were going in another direction, however, he said, they never imagined it would go that far.
"Although the coronavirus didn't take my son's life directly, it took it indirectly, that's how I feel," noted Mr. Rodney Moore.
The chief psychologist at Children's Hospital of Orange County told the media outlet that she currently receives twice as many phone calls from families concerned about their children's mental health who have presented the same type of warning signs.
For her part, psychologist Heather Huszti, from the same institution, highlighted signs that parents should pay special attention to, such as increasing irritability, not participating in activities they used to enjoy, having trouble concentrating, and even changes in eating and sleeping patterns.
The conversation should start before the signs advance, because "sometimes when you ask kids about friends, about others, it's an easier way to get into it," Huszti said.
Finally, Rodney's parents said they hope that sharing his story will help prevent the death of another young man, and they called on other parents not to hesitate to refer their children to a mental health expert at the slightest suspicion of danger.
