Dear Caleigh
I am intrigued by the fact so many people are not that happy in Utah. One thing that stands out to me is the fact that “the youth ages 10-13 make up 13.0%. Of those 13.0% people 5.01% are suicides.” How did you find out this information to know. I would like to know more because I think it would interesting to see what the total percent of suicides are in the whole U.S.A
Regards,
Jaliaya

Caleigh, I found this post very intriguing. It also astounds, yet doesn’t surprise me that Utah has such a high suicide rate. I have looked into the linkage of Mormon religion and teen suicide very thoroughly in my own studies. This article here
( http://religionnews.com/2016/03/12/study-shows-link-teen-suicide-mormon-populations/ ) was very interesting to me and it showed how the high mormon population can have an effect on mental illness and suicide. I myself have had some very close personal experience with observing an individual who was raised in a strict LDS family who eventually committed suicide and I’ve seen how a lot of outsiders have blamed it on the religion itself. I see how this could come across as offensive towards the LDS religion however, I do believe there is a direct effect, especially with the views held in the religion itself towards LGBTQ individuals. This topic really interests me and I hope to find out more about how this linkage is represented.

This was a very eye-opening post Caleigh. I think you discussed a topic that most of society is too scared to address, and I am very impressed with the manner in which you did this. I think you gave a lot of accurate information that was backed up by statistics and resources. However, I wish you would elaborate or explain more on the statistics. While numbers give you proof of what your arguing they can sometimes be hard to comprehend and your article would be stronger if your reader completely understood the message you were trying to convey. I think the quote “they say In 2014 (the year the most recent data is available), the % Mormon in a U.S. state is associated with a higher level of youth suicides in that state” is very interesting. While I think it’s a good point I think you should maybe restate it in a way that would not come across as offensive to those in the LDS community. While it is a good point that backs up your argument, just remember the different people making up your audience.

I think if you wrote about how we can address this as a society and the solutions to this increasing problem your reader would feel more compelled to share your article and its solutions. I am very intrigued to see what you write next on this topic, and if you address how you personally think we will address this. I suggest looking at this article. It might give you some ideas to elaborate on!

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wicked-deeds/201403/the-reality-suicide-growing-epidemic

Can’t wait to read more- Tess