The New York Times reported in January that a rise in the number of suicides among students in Clark County, Nevada,

had pushed the school district to reopen its school buildings which had been shuttered since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

18 students had died by suicide in the Las Vegas area district since March 2020.

That report was just one of a number of news articles

that have suggested that the pandemic may be raising the risk of suicide as people in the U.S.

and around the world cope with the virus and its economic turmoil, closed schools and offices,

and other disruptions that have come with it. But even before COVID-19, the suicide rate in the United

States had been increasing in recent years, particularly among young people. What's behind this

rise? What can we do about it? What effective interventions have psychologists and other researchers

developed to help those at risk of suicide? And what can you do if you're worried about someone in your life?

Welcome to Speaking of Psychology, the flagship podcast of the American Psychological Association

that examines the links between psychological science and everyday life.

I'm Kim Mills.

Our guest today is Dr. Jill Harcovy Friedman, the Vice President of Research for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention,

and an associate professor of clinical psychology and psychiatry at Columbia University.

She has more than 30 years of experience as a clinician and researcher, and has worked to translate research and suicide prevention into clinical practice.

Her own research has focused on

suicidal behavior among adolescents and adults. She has published more than 100 research articles

and was the first researcher to ask high school students about suicidal ideation and behavior. Thank you for

joining us today, Dr. Harcovy-Friedman. Thank you so much for having me, Kim.

So as I mentioned a moment ago in the introduction,

before the coronavirus pandemic,

...