Four teenagers in Oregon led a successful, first of its kind, effort in the USA to treat physical and mental health equally by lobbying for a mental health bill that was signed by Oregon’s governor in July. As a result, Oregon schools now allow students to miss classes for mental or behavioral health reasons without penalty.
Read the report by National Public Radio, “Feeling Blue? Oregon Students Allowed To Take ‘Mental Health Days’”
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among Oregon residents aged 15 to 34, and the eighth-leading cause among all ages in the state, according to the Oregon Health Authority.
The national suicide rate increased 33 percent from 1999 to 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.