Quad City Documentary Examines Teen Suicide and Depression

The statistics are grim. For teenagers 12-18, suicide is the third leading cause of death in the United States according to healthresearchfunding.org. Each and every day an estimated 5400 teenagers attempt suicide. A local filmmaker is addressing the issue directly with a one hour film called, If You Only Knew, The Journey Through Teen Depression and Suicide.

Thursday night at 8 p.m. the documentary, will air on WQPT.  "The issue of teen depression and suicide is a community crisis that needs to be addressed, and we wanted to initiate the conversation in the Quad Cities." said Mike Mickle, President of Mickle Communications.

Healthresearchfunding.org reports that at least 90% of teens who attempt suicide have some type of pre-existing condition, such as depression, anxiety, drug or alcohol abuse or behavior problems. They may also have problems at school or with friends or family. "The documentary will explore the many reasons behind teen suicide." Mickle said. "So families, schools and even workplaces can be aware of the warning signs. Like any problem, the more people know about it, the more they can do to prevent it."

WQPT is devoting a full night to the subject starting at 7 p.m. with Jim Mertens hosting a special edition of the Cities, followed by Mickle Communications documentary. The complete list of show's covering teen depression and suicide can be seen here.