
She Left a Mental Health Facility and Bought a Gun. Her Mother Is Fighting to Change That
From Grieving Out Loud: A Mother Coping with Loss in the Opioid Epidemic by Angela Kennecke
April 8, 2026 · 42 min · Season 8 · Episode 260
About this episode
Larissa Strong shares her heartbreaking experience of losing her daughter Hailey after she was allowed to leave a mental health facility.
Over the past two decades, suicide rates have steadily risen across the United States. Even when family and friends notice the warning signs and try to get help, the outcome can still be devastating. That’s the heartbreaking story of today’s guest on Grieving Out Loud. Larissa Strong’s daughter, Hailey, had been receiving care in an inpatient mental health facility after a suicide attempt. Despite that, Larissa says the facility allowed her daughter to leave, and within 48 hours, Hailey was a...
People in this episode
Guest: Larissa Strong
Topics covered
- mental health
- suicide prevention
- opioid epidemic
- grief
- family support
Keywords
- mental health facility
- suicide rates
- warning signs
- inpatient care
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Grieving Out Loud
Places: the United States
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