Combatting Rising Depression and Suicide
Scientific evidence suggests faith and religious community help
Greetings, and happy Easter Monday!
All Americans, but young people especially, need mental resurrection as our country struggles with rising suicide and depression. A record nearly 50,000 people died by suicide in 2022 (most recent data), nearly 17X the number of people killed in the terrorist attacks of 9-11. I was glad to speak with students at Pepperdine University’s Beacon student newspaper about how faith significantly helped my battle with mental illness after severe childhood trauma. I wrote my book Motorhome Prophecies as a "big sister's letter" to help young people today.
Poor mental health among young women is exacerbated by ongoing COVID-19 isolation impacts and social media. Financial stress, with nearly 20% of young adults facing debt collection, also looms. Yet faith community plays a strong healing role, as I wrote for Evie Magazine here.
In the last days of March, I joined Tiffany Justice on her Moms For Liberty podcast. We discussed how healthy faith helps mitigate the U.S. mental health crisis. Watch our conversation below:
In political news, I analyzed for CNN President Joe Biden's State of the Union, highlighting a missed opportunity for genuine leadership. His focus on partisan rhetoric and misrepresentation—rather than tackling urgent issues like the migration crisis and healthcare costs—is disappointing.
High healthcare costs and uncertainty are significant concerns for women, and all Americans—especially those nearing retirement age. In my recent RealClearHealth article, I discuss how healthcare price transparency and portable health benefits are key solutions offering hope and financial security, particularly for women 50+. Price transparency will reduce healthcare costs via competition.
A new concept, "luxury beliefs" coined by author Rob Henderson, highlights misguided claims about help struggling people. One luxury belief is opposing school choice. Drawing from my own experience as a child in violent, majority-black schools—the first school district nationwide to lose its accreditation—I wrote for the Washington Examiner about the detrimental effects of denying vulnerable children access to quality education. Blocking freedom of choice in education perpetuates inequality.
Heading into a new month, I’m grateful for your support in launching our movement to strengthen mental health, especially among young people. We hope you grab your copy of Motorhome Prophecies and give a 5-star review on Amazon. Also join us in the book tour and stay connected! Next stop: Yale!
Wishing you a lovely spring month this April.
With gratitude,
Carrie