Suicide is the third leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 24 in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During the first seven months of the COVID-19 lockdown, U.S. hospitals experienced a 24% increase in mental-health-related emergency visits for children aged 5 to 11, and a 31% increase for those aged 12 to 17.

On this very special episode of Raising Joy, we sit down in front of a live audience in Fort Worth, Texas, to interview acclaimed author, Andrew Solomon, Ph.D. Solomon is a Pulitzer Prize finalist, National Book Award winner, TedTalk presenter, as well as a professor of Clinical Psychology at Columbia University. 

Dr. Solomon spoke to us about his recent article in The New Yorker called, “The Mystifying Rise of Child Suicides,” and recounts what he has learned from conducting dozens of interviews with parents who have lost a child to suicide. 

This is a difficult, yet important episode for anyone interested in learning more about the mental health crisis affecting youth in America.

Thank you to all who joined us for the live show and thank you to all of our podcast listeners. This event was hosted in partnership with The Center for Children’s Health led by Cook Children's. The Cook Children's Raising Joy Legacy Leadership Award was presented to the Honorable Tarrant County Judge Glen B. Whitley for his tireless commitment and decades of service on behalf of the well-being of children throughout Tarrant County and beyond.

Raising Joy is part of Cook Children’s Health Care System’s Joy Campaign, a communications initiative aimed at preventing youth suicides. For more information about the Joy Campaign, visit cookchildrens.org/joy.

New episodes of the Raising Joy podcast will be available each Tuesday. It is currently available on all major streaming platforms including Apple, Spotify and Google Podcasts.

Cook Children’s Health Care System announced today the release of its new mental health podcast, Raising Joy. The podcast is part of the JOY Campaign, which launched in April 2021 as a suicide prevention communication initiative, and aims to reach parents through honest conversations about the mental wellbeing of children and teens.

“The pandemic was extremely difficult for kids and families and we’re going to be dealing with the results of that for a long time,” said Kristen Pyrc, M.D., co-medical director of Psychiatry at Cook Children’s and co-host of Raising Joy. “My hope with this podcast is that we can empower parents with tools and strategies they can use to support their children, as well as themselves.”

In addition to Dr. Pyrc, Raising Joy is co-hosted by Wini King, Chief of Communications, Inclusion, Equity and Diversity at Cook Children’s. Each week, the two will interview guests about topics such as depression, anxiety, stress, adverse childhood experiences, bullying and social media (to name a few).

“This is bold. It’s not something you might expect from a children’s hospital but I can tell you it’s something special,” King said. “In the few episodes we’ve already recorded, my jaw has dropped from what our guests have shared. We’ve heard incredibly impactful stories of personal struggle and resilience. I hope listeners walk away from our podcast knowing they are not alone, and that there is hope and help.”

Episode two of Raising Joy features a particularly raw conversation with pediatrician Kathleen Powderly, M.D., of Cook Children’s Pediatrics Magnolia in Fort Worth. Dr. Powderly is credited with sounding the alarm that sparked the Joy Campaign. 

In early 2021, she sent an email to leaders across Cook Children’s making them aware of the dramatic increase in suicidal patients she was seeing in her practice, some as young as 7. It turned out what she was seeing was a trend throughout the health care system and the country.  

“Dr. Powderly’s passion for this topic comes through within minutes. She courageously opened up about her own experience with depression and burnout. This is a conversation every parent and physician should hear,” said Dr. Pyrc. “Even with the first couple episodes, Raising Joy is bringing the topics that we typically bury out into the light. It’s an out-of-the-box that I’m very proud to be a part of.”

Season one of the Raising Joy podcast will run through May with new episodes becoming available each Tuesday. It is currently available on all major streaming platforms including Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts and YouTube.

Elliott knows it can be difficult for parents to come to grips with mental health issues their child may be experiencing.

“Regardless of the reason for the mental or behavioral health illness, we have to be responsive to our children immediately,” Elliott said. “Parents sometimes wait until it’s too late to seek help before harm comes to the child or someone else, simply hoping the problem resolves itself over time.”

Parents have reported not knowing where to turn for help or having the time and funds to navigate obtaining appropriate care.

Childhood mental illness occurs in about 20 percent of all children in any given year, according to the U.S. Surgeon General. Nearly 5 million children in America have some type of mental illness, yet experts estimate that only 20 percent of them will receive treatment.

“Early identification and treatment is critical and can be a lifesaver for the child,” Elliott said. “In addition, treatment can be beneficial for all of the child’s relationships and success in school.”

Elliott offers these early warning signs:

1. Significant mood changes, including sadness, depression, withdrawal, irritability or rages
2. Intense feelings with little ability to manage the feelings, including anxiety, fear and panic symptoms
3. Behavior changes including aggressiveness, dangerous behavior, and homicidal thoughts or changes in appearance, friends, interests
4. Physical harm including self-harm and suicidal thoughts/attempts
5. Substance abuse
6. Lack of self-care including, lack of cleanliness, not eat or over eating, sleep disturbances, weight changes, pays little attention to physical health, doesn’t care about homework
7. Change in functioning including inability to concentrate, easily irritated/frustrated, gets into fights/arguments, unable to get along with others, cannot complete projects/work

If parents note any of these changes they are encouraged to speak to their child’s doctor or find a specialist such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker or licensed counselor.

“A proper diagnosis is essential for guiding treatment; and this process may include a health examination and/or psychological testing,” Elliott said. “Treatment may include medications, psychotherapy which includes teaching your child coping tools and how to respond to challenging situation, as well as helping parent training/skills.”

Other resources that provide information to help parents include www.watchdenton.org, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), National Institute of Mental Health, Mental Health America.