Mental health experts at an L.A. County Suicide Prevention Network event discussed how these numbers are impacting local residents.
An uplifting celebration for the local heroes who do the incredibly difficult work of suicide prevention.
"How many of you have visited a park in the last six months," said Mercy Santoro, Deputy Director of East County Community Services Agency for the L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation.
Visiting parks helped her get through dark days. When she was 12, Santoro lost her father to suicide.
"It became a place of reflection for me and a place where I felt safe," she said.
Santoro believes youth programs at parks can save lives.
"In 2023, 875 L.A. County residents died by suicide including 112 youth between the ages of 10 and 24," said Andrea Welsing, Director of the L.A. County Department of Public Health's Office of Violence Prevention
These numbers coincide with a new Gallup poll that finds for the second year in a row, more than 18 percent of U.S. adults say they're dealing with depression.
"It really is palpable in our society," said Dr. Lisa H. Wong, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health
The report finds two factors are leading to more adults reporting depression. First, more young people are entering adulthood with higher levels of depression. And since the pandemic, rates of loneliness and isolation are inching upward again.
"It seems once we came through COVID, we never quite bounced back from that," said Wong.
She said checking in with one another is the responsibility of everyone in our community. While more young people are calling suicide hotlines, there's a silver lining.
"They are having the conversations. This is normalized more than ever now in schools and among peer groups," Wong said.
Santoro found support and mentorship at local parks. She encourages others to give it a try.
"Parks are naturally trauma-informed. They're places where people can heal and connect," she said.
If you are experiencing suicidal, substance use or other mental health crises please call or text the new three-digit code at 988. You will reach a trained crisis counselor for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also go to 988lifeline.org.