Between 2015 and 2023, 23 young lives were lost to suicide in Chicago’s South Suburbs. They were boys and girls, ages 10 to 19 — each carrying stories we will never fully know.
What we do know comes from data collected by the Illinois Violent Death Reporting System and summarized in Chicago’s South Suburbs Youth Suicide Data, 2015–2023. These losses were not random. The data reveals patterns, gaps, and painful truths about the fragility of mental health support in our communities.
The Weight of the Numbers
Numbers can feel cold when they’re about life and death. But here, they are necessary to see clearly.
Over the nine-year period studied:
- 78% of youth suicides were Black teens
- 78% of cases involved males
- 83% of youth were between ages 15 and 19
- 17% were children ages 10 to 14
Together, these numbers remind us that while adolescence is a period of possibility, it is also a period of immense vulnerability.
Behind every percentage point is a young person who deserved to see their future.
How Lives Were Lost
The methods were devastatingly final:
- Firearms accounted for 52% of deaths
- Hanging or suffocation accounted for 39%
These figures tell us something critical: access matters. Prevention cannot be separated from what is present in the home.
Where and When
Most of these young people died at home.
- 87% of cases occurred in a house or apartment — the very place meant to be their safe haven.
This means the crisis unfolded not in public spaces, but in bedrooms, basements, and kitchens — close to the people who loved them.
Timing also reveals patterns:
- 2020 marked the highest peak, accounting for nearly one-third of all cases
- Months that stood out most were March, July, and November
Isolation, uncertainty, grief, school transitions, and seasonal pressures all appear to heighten vulnerability during these periods — particularly for Black families who bore a disproportionate share of the pandemic’s health and economic impacts.
What’s Missing
One of the most striking findings in the report is not just what we see — but what we don’t.
- 87% had no prior mental health treatment
- 74% had no documented diagnosis
- Most were never in therapy
This absence matters.
It tells us prevention is failing to reach those who need it most. It shows that young people are struggling quietly until it is too late. And it exposes how stigma, access barriers, and culturally disconnected systems leave Southland families without support.
Even toxicology reports were inconsistent or missing. Where results existed, few youth had substances in their system at the time of death — suggesting substance use was not the primary driver.
The core issue remains: unmet mental health needs.
The Southland Lens
This is not just a story about mental health.
It is a story about race, place, and inequity.
The disproportionate representation of Black male teens points to a larger systemic crisis. Southland communities have been historically disinvested. Access to culturally responsive care is limited. Schools and community spaces often lack mental health professionals. And for many families, conversations about depression, trauma, or suicide remain clouded in stigma.
The data shows clusters in places like Flossmoor, Country Club Hills, and Calumet Park, but the reality is broader. These communities are microcosms of a larger Southland pattern — where lack of resources collides with generational trauma and structural inequities.
Where We Go From Here
At One Purpose Love, through the Genesis Legacy News Initiative, we see this data as more than numbers on a page. It is a call to action.
- The GL News Mental Health Portal offers a youth-centered digital space for ages 10–19, where young people can access resources, share stories, and see themselves reflected.
- Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) equips adults with the skills to recognize and respond to signs of crisis. By training parents, teachers, faith leaders, and mentors, we expand the safety net around our youth.
When adults are trained, prevention doesn’t rest on chance.
It becomes a community responsibility.
A Shared Responsibility
The crisis of youth suicide is not one organization’s burden to carry.
It belongs to schools, churches, clinics, parents, peers, policymakers, and media. Everyone has a role in creating a culture where mental health is visible, accessible, and affirmed.
The Southland deserves the same investment, compassion, and infrastructure that other regions receive. Our children deserve prevention systems that work, clinicians who understand their culture, and safe places to grow into adulthood with hope intact.
Honoring What Was Lost
Behind every statistic is a young person who deserved laughter, graduations, friendships, and second chances.
We cannot undo what has already happened. But we can honor their lives by doing better — for the next child, the next teen, the next generation.
That means demanding resources.
Holding systems accountable.
And showing up for our youth — not only when they are thriving, but when they are struggling.
Data Source
This article draws from Chicago’s South Suburbs Youth Suicide Data, 2015–2023, produced by One Purpose Love using data from the Illinois Violent Death Reporting System.
Read the full feature:
This article is published in full in the Summer 2025 Lookbook (pp. 12–14), with extended visuals and deeper data interpretation.
👉 Access the Lookbook here:
https://www.canva.com/design/DAGxFQajv1U/QUPRnQw0tWyfNykEmCngBg/view
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