Youth Suicide Prevention

Youth Suicide Prevention

Dr. Scott Poland, N.S.U

Dr. Steve Rosenberg, P.S.I.

• YOUTH SUICIDE PROGRAM COMPONENTS

–Prevention

–Intervention

–Postvention

Recommendations

• Create a task force and develop school/community policies and collaboration

• Train school staff on warning signs• Form a partnership with schools, agencies, law

enforcement, clergy and mental health agencies• Train school/community professionals on suicide

assessment• Provide prevention information to parents and all others

who interact with youth • Be familiar with evidenced based and best practice

programs listed on the SPRC website

Recommendations

• Know the incidence of suicide across the life span

• Pay attention to students’ writing about death and dying

• Be familiar with evidenced based practices listed at www.sprc.org

International Perspective

• 1 million suicides world wide annually

• U.S. rate 12 per 100,000

• World Health Organization has predicted by 2020 suicide will be the second leading cause of death in the world

• Strong relationship between substance abuse and suicide

2007 YRBSS RESULTS

• Surveyed 15,000 H.S students in U.S. and in the last year:

• 28.5 % reported being sad or hopeless

• 11.3% made a suicide plan

• 6.9% made an attempt

International Prevention

• Survey of research in 35 countries 1960 to 2005

• Most effective prevention involves restricting lethal means and educating caregivers and especially physicians on warning signs and prevention and intervention strategies

Suicide & GunsSuicide & Guns• People living in a house-People living in a house-

hold where a firearm is hold where a firearm is kept are almost 5 times kept are almost 5 times more likely to die by more likely to die by suicide than people who suicide than people who live in gun-free homes. live in gun-free homes. Approximately 60% of Approximately 60% of all suicides involve gun.all suicides involve gun.

Precipitating Events

• Severe argument with parents

• Break-up up of romance

• Humiliation

• Loss

• Discipline/Police Issue (Utah Study)

• Problem peer relations (Girls/peer issues)

• Disappointment School/Grades

HIGH RISK GROUPS

• Caucasian males

• Caucasian females

• Hispanic youth

• Gay, lesbian and bisexual youth

• Native American youth

GLBT Issues

• Higher rates not due to identity but unique complications “nothing inherently suicidal about same sex orientation”

• Studies have found 17 to 42% more attempts• External factors: conflict, harassment, abuse

rejection, lack of support• Advocacy for GLBT population in school often

met with resistance

WARNING SIGNS OF YOUTH SUICIDE

• Suicide notes• Threats• Symptomatic clues• Giving away prized

possessions/making a will• Fascination with death• Exposure to suicide

• Good relationships with other youth• Seeks adult help when needed • Lack of access to suicidal means• Access to mental health care • Religiosity• School environment that encourages

help seeking and promotes health

PROTECTIVE FACTORS

• Family cohesion and stability

• Coping and problem solving skills

• Positive self worth and impulse control

• Positive connections to school and extracurricular participation

• Successful academically

PROTECTIVE FACTORS

Screening Program

• Signs of Suicide SOSwww.mentalhealthscreening.org

SOS research found fewer suicide attempts and increased adult help seeking behavior

Sponsors include NASSP, NASN, ASCA and NASP

American Association of Suicidology: School Suicide

Prevention Accreditation Program• Designed for support and mental health

professionals

• Become your school/community authority

• Know best/evidence based practices

• Reading list and sample exam provided

• Includes membership and ongoing support

• www.suicidology.org

SUICIDE INTERVENTION:Postvention Strategies

• Memorials: DO– Something to prevent other suicides.– Develop “living memorials” such as

student assistance programs.– Allow students, with parental permission

and support to attend the funeral.– Avoid glorifying the suicidal act.

SUICIDE INTERVENTION:Postvention Strategies

• Memorials: DO NOT– Dismiss school or encourage funeral

attendance during school hours.– Have memorial or funeral services at school.– Allow plaques, trees, dedications in yearbook,

songs or sporting events Have assemblies or moments of silence.

– Cover suicide with front page news.– Print picture of the deceased.

Answering Students Questions

• Why did he/she do it?

• What method did they use?

• Why didn’t God stop them?

• Is someone or something to blame?

• How do we prevent further suicides?

Risk Factors for Imitative Behavior

• Facilitated the suicide through involvement in a pact, providing the means or encouraging the suicide

• Believe their mistreatment of the victim contributed

• Failed to recognize intent either did not take threat seriously or missed obvious warning signs

Risk Factors for Imitative Behavior

• Had close relationship with victim• Identify with suicide victim either view

them as role model or see parallel life circumstances

• History of prior suicidal behavior or mental health problems

Suicide Clusters:Center for Disease Control

Recommendations

• Convene planning committee that involves all sectors of school and community

• Deliver a public response that minimizes sensationalism and avoids glorification

• Evaluate and counsel the close friends of the suicide victim and those previously know to be suicidal

• Community resources must include: hospital and emergency personnel, community mental health, local and state agencies, clergy, school leaders, parent groups, survivor groups, police, media and crisis hotline personnel

Preventing Suicide: Preventing Suicide: What to What to DoDo

•Listen Listen carefullycarefully to to what the person is what the person is saying. saying.

•DemonstrateDemonstrate that that you grasp— you grasp— – what he or she is what he or she is

facing and his or facing and his or her emotional state her emotional state

Preventing Suicide:Preventing Suicide:What to DoWhat to Do

For example, if aFor example, if aperson tells you: person tells you:

•Ever since the break Ever since the break up, I haven’t been up, I haven’t been able to study, and able to study, and now I just found out now I just found out my parents are my parents are divorcing – I might divorcing – I might as well give up! as well give up!

Preventing Suicide:Preventing Suicide:What to DoWhat to Do

You could respond:You could respond:

•““It’s so hard to It’s so hard to concentrate when concentrate when you’re in pain. And you’re in pain. And now you’re getting now you’re getting hit with another hit with another loss. You must be loss. You must be really really overwhelmed.”overwhelmed.”

Preventing Suicide:Preventing Suicide:WhatWhat NOT NOT to Doto Do

DO NOT DO NOT criticize, try to change, or criticize, try to change, or make light of what he or she is make light of what he or she is thinking/feeling.thinking/feeling. DO NOT DO NOT minimize the potential for minimize the potential for harm.harm.DO NOT DO NOT agree to agree to secrecysecrecy..

DO NOT DO NOT wait to seek wait to seek help.help.

DO NOT DO NOT leave a leave a potentially suicidal potentially suicidal person alone. person alone.

Preventing Suicide AndPreventing Suicide AndGetting Help Getting Help

Call 24 hours per day: National Call 24 hours per day: National Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-Suicide or 1-800-273-Talk or 1-Suicide or 1-800-273-Talk or 1-800-273-8255800-273-8255

The journey of postvention The journey of postvention begins and ends with begins and ends with prevention. No single prevention. No single

community agency has the community agency has the resources to respond to a resources to respond to a

suicide cluster but together suicide cluster but together they can make a difference.they can make a difference.

YOUTH SUICIDE:Resources

American Association of Suicidologywww.suicidology.org

American Foundation for Suicide Preventionwww.afsp.org

Suicide Prevention Resource Centerwww.sprc.org

Centers for Disease Controlwww.cdc.gov

spoland@nova.edu

psisr@aol.com

www.psi-solutions.com