The Rise in Childhood Suicide
An Evening with Andrew Solomon
Wednesday, October 4, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
SWINY’s First In-person
Event Since 2020!
We have reached capacity for our event with Andrew Solomon.
Join our waiting list here.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth aged 15-24 (the first is unintentional injuries such as road traffic). Approximately 1 out of every 15 high school students reports attempting suicide each year. One out of every 53 high school students reports having made a suicide attempt that was serious enough to be treated by a doctor or a nurse. For each suicide death among young people, there may be as many as 100 to 200 suicide attempts. For some groups of youth—including those who are involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender; American Indian/Alaska Native; and military service members—the incidence of suicidal behavior is even higher.
To discuss the challenges of suicide in our children SWINY chair David Levine (@dlloydlevine) will talk to Andrew Solomon, Ph.D.(@Andrew_Solomon) is a writer and lecturer on politics, culture and psychology; winner of the National Book Award; and an activist in LGBTQ rights, mental health, and the arts. He is Professor of Clinical Medical Psychology (in Psychiatry) at Columbia University Medical Center, Lecturer in Psychiatry at Yale University, and a former President of PEN American Center. He will discuss the new book on childhood suicide that he is writing.
About Andrew Solomon
A native New Yorker, Andrew Solomon attended the Horace Mann School, graduating cum laude in 1981. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1985, graduating magna cum laude, and later earned a Master’s degree in English at Jesus College, Cambridge. While at Cambridge, he received the top first-class degree in English in his year, the only foreign student ever to be so honored, as well as the university writing prize.
From 1993 to 2001, Solomon was a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine; he has also written for The New Yorker, Travel & Leisure, ArtForum, and many other periodicals, and has authored essays for many anthologies and exhibition catalogs. His journalism has spanned topics as wide-ranging as Chinese art, the cultural rebirth of Afghanistan, Libyan politics, video art, puppetry, and interior design.
In August 2013, Solomon was awarded a doctoral degree in psychology by Jesus College, Cambridge, Faculty of Politics, Psychology, Sociology and International Studies, working on maternal identity under the supervision of Professor Juliet Mitchell.
Among his many books is The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression, which was a National Book Award-winning, bestselling, and transformative masterpiece on depression—“the book for a generation, elegantly written, meticulously researched, empathetic, and enlightening” (Time).
Have a question for Andrew Solomon you would like answered? Submit it here.
When:
Wednesday, October 4
6:30 to 8 p.m.
Refreshments will be provided
Where:
The home of Chip and Susan Fisher
1060 5th Avenue on the northeast corner at 87th Street
Admission is complimentary. Space is limited, so please RSVP by Thursday, September 28.
Waiting List: https://form.jotform.com/swiny/october-4-waiting-list
Note: By attending this event you are certifying that you are not infected with, or have tested positive for, COVID-19.
