ST. GEORGE — Within the privacy of homes, the crowded hallways of schools and the nonstop buzz of social media, the crisis of teen suicide is claiming young lives at an alarming rate, leaving family and friends to pick up the pieces of shattered lives.
This national crisis turned painfully personal for St. George resident Kaleen Talley more than four years ago with the death of her son, Parker, in 2021.
"Cherish every moment; you never know what life holds," Talley said. "Although the pain of that horrific moment has diminished, there is still a hole in my heart."
Despite recent improvements in mental health care, teen suicide remains the second-leading cause of teen death in Washington County, after accidents, with a rate among its youth, age 15-24, of 26.8 suicides per 100,000 in population or 56 teen suicide deaths annually.
