This opinion piece originally appeared in the Erie Times-News on Oct. 3, 2025 is reprinted with permission of the author. (Please note that it references an event which took place on Oct. 7, 2025).
Mary Anne Albaugh
Your Turn
Teen suicide is not inevitable, how we can help Erie youth who are in pain | Opinion
We recently observed Suicide Prevention Month, a time to remember the lives we've lost, support those who are struggling and recommit to building a future where young people can thrive. As a psychiatrist who has worked with children, adolescents and their families in Erie for more than three decades, I can tell you this plainly: too many of our children are suffering in silence until the pain becomes unbearable.
Suicide is now one of the leading causes of death among teenagers. In Pennsylvania, nearly 1 in 4 students report prolonged sadness or hopelessness, and about 1 in 6 have seriously considered suicide. Behind those numbers are children distracted by overwhelming anxiety, withdrawing under the weight of depression, and too often only reaching out for help once in crisis. Families arrive in the emergency room desperate, while schools, hospitals and communities are already stretched thin. This is not how a caring society should respond to young people in pain.
Consider Anna, a 15-year-old who loves dance, music and poetry. She also struggles with depression, anxiety and self-harm. At home, she worries about her younger sibling with autism, her mother working two jobs while facing eviction, and her father's absence. At school, she feels isolated and misunderstood. Anna's story illustrates what so many children carry with them every day: not just symptoms, but layers of trauma, instability and loneliness. Too often, they are left asking the same questions Anna does: "Who will listen? Who can I trust?"
We know what works. When children and families receive support early, before challenges escalate, outcomes are dramatically better. Prevention is always more effective than waiting for a crisis. Schools, primary care and mental health providers can play an essential role when they have the training, tools, and resources to support well-being. Pediatric visits can include screenings and guidance for parents and children alike. Communities can invest in programs that make care accessible and reduce stigma so no child feels invisible.
One proven example is the collaborative care model, which integrates psychiatric consultation into primary care. By giving pediatricians access to a psychiatrist and a care manager, children can be screened, assessed, and treated earlier, all within a familiar setting. This approach has expanded access in both urban and rural areas and ensures more families receive care before a crisis develops.
But right now, in Pennsylvania and across the nation, long waitlists, provider shortages, complicated insurance rules and stigma keep too many families from care. In rural communities, families may drive hours for an appointment or give up altogether. These barriers are not just inconvenient; they are life-threatening.
Every day, I meet young people and families who will do anything to help their children. What they need is a system that meets them halfway, one that does not wait until a crisis to respond. Together, we can build that system.
(On Tuesday, Oct. 7, the Strong Minds, Bright Futures partnership is hosting a community dialogue at the Erie Center for Arts and Technology, 650 East Ave., Erie. Families, youth, providers, educators and local leaders will gather to share what's working, what isn't, and what we need to keep children safe and well.) should we remove this para.?)
Suicide is not inevitable. It is preventable. But prevention requires action, funding programs that support children and families early, expanding the workforce and treating schools and primary care as true partners in care. Our young people deserve nothing less. The question is whether we will act with the urgency this crisis demands.
Dr. Mary Anne Albaugh
Mary Anne Albaugh, MD, DLFAPA is a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist with over three decades of experience working with children, teens and families in Pennsylvania.