Distressing news out of Snohomish County this morning: According to a Healthy Youth Survey, nearly 19 percent of 10th graders said the seriously thought about taking their own lives, and almost 15 percent said they actually planned it. Horribly, nearly 9 percent said they tried to off themselves, the Everett Herald is reporting.Students in the eight and 12th grades also had similar levels of emotional turmoil.

“Clearly it is of concern that youth are considering suicide,” Dr. Gary Goldbaum, health officer for the Snohomish Health District, told the Herald. “Negotiating those teen years is hard. A lot of kids are saying it’s too hard.”The survey of 13,000 Snohomish County students was conducted in October.It results come on the heels of a state Department of Health-led study that revealed that teen use of tobacco and alcohol are on the decline in Washington state, researchers found that feelings of depression were prevalent grade through 12.According to the survey, 26 percent of 8th graders, 31 percent of 10th graders and 30 percent of 12th graders experienced feelings of depression that affected their daily behavior.