Linda Eatmon-Jones has spent the last six months heading up the Fairfax Partnership for Youth, and is now preparing for the group’s fourth annual conference on youth suicide and depression on May 13. Its surveys of students show that anxiety and depression have become greater problems among local teens.
Why is this problem getting worse?
For some of the work that we’ve done it appears that the overall pressures that one sees in families are transferred to the youth, they’re not isolated. For example, if you look at some of our areas in the Hispanic Latino [communities] where we see a spike in depression and anxiety and suspensions, some of the things that are happening with the families … working multiple jobs, unrest with many things they’re grappling with, also has an impact on the kids.
How did you get your start in this field?
I’ve lived in the county for 20-plus years. I had kids in Fairfax County Public Schools, there is a personal part for me. And secondly, I’ve worked with youth in my church groups, I was director of young adult groups. I have a personal interest.
When you took over as executive director, what did you want to accomplish?
I’ve wanted this whole area of awareness to become more commonplace in the community, not just in the schools. So we have the best of the community, which would be the schools, the county government, the local governments, and the parents and youth all working together to see what we can do about this.
What else is the Fairfax Partnership for Youth doing to combat teen depression and suicide?
We have a resource guide that we’ve developed with several youth psychological groups, and we give that as part of the orientation when kids come back to schools. … We do a lot with the teen centers and the community centers, too,in terms of advocacy and education and awareness.”
