18% Of Louisiana Students Considered Suicide In 2021: 'This Problem Is Breathtaking'

Nearly a fifth of students in Louisiana considered suicide within the past year, according to a nonprofit organization educating against gun violence.

Around 18% of Louisiana students that took part in a survey admitted to making "a plan about how they would commit suicide within the last year," Logan Anderson with the Sandy Hook Promise said, as per WAFB Channel 9.

Meanwhile, "37% of students reported feeling sad or hopeless almost every day for at least a two-week period during the last year," added Anderson, who spoke before Louisiana’s House Committee on Education Wednesday.

"The scale of this problem is breathtaking. And it’s unfortunately often under-reported. People don’t realize just how common this is," he said.

Winn Parish has also seen a "major uptick" in teen suicide "in the last six to eight years," according to Joshua McAllister, the President of the Winn Parish Police Jury.

In response to the trend, Louisiana Rep. Laurie Schlegel introduced HB495.

The bill would require public school students in grades six to 12 to receive training on suicide prevention, student safety, violence prevention and social isolation.

"It’s much needed that we talk to our kids about these issues. I know they’re very serious issues, but our kids are thinking about it, and some are actually doing it," Schlegel said.

Each training must be evidence-based, last for at least one hour and be student-led with the help of educators and mental health professionals.

However, parents can request their child to be excused from the training if they choose.

Schlegel's bill reportedly received unanimous bipartisan support, with Democratic Rep. Aimee Freeman even offering to co-sign it.

Anderson's figures aligned with the data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which questioned Louisiana high schoolers in 2019 whether or not they "seriously considered attempting suicide" and "if they felt sad or hopeless almost every day for two or more weeks in a row so that they stopped doing some usual activities" during the 12 months before the survey.

It was unclear if Anderson was citing the CDC's data, or if the numbers he provided were from a different source.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.