Youth Suicide Prevention:

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Youth Suicide Prevention:

Understanding & Articulating the Need

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Is There a Need?

•3rd leading cause of death in adolescence•2nd leading cause of death in college students•50-200 attempts for every completion•Almost 7% of high school students report making a suicide attempt•Over 14% of high school students report suicidal thoughts

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In Simpler Numbers…In Simpler Numbers…•EVERY Year- approximately 10 suicides for every 100,000 youth

•EVERY Day- there are approximately 11 youth suicides

•EVERY 2 hours and 11 minutes, a person under the age of 25 dies by suicide

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“School systems are not responsible for meeting every need of their students but when the need directly affects learning, the school must meet the challenge.”

Carnegie Task Force on Education, 1985

The Rationale for School Prevention Programs

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Are School Programs Are School Programs Safe?Safe?

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Characteristics of Sound Programs

Do not sensationalize or glamorize suicide

Do not use ‘attempters’ as part of program

Reinforce protective buffers against suicide

Acknowledge limitations

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The LIFELINES Program The LIFELINES Program Goal:Goal:

To develop school-based expertise andsupports within the context of a competentschool community for responding to the

problemof adolescent suicidal behavior

A Competent School Community:A Competent School Community:

School Leaders

Faculty and Staff Parents Students

Role of Parents•Understand school’s policies and procedures

•Understand Suicide Prevention curriculum

•Recognize signs of trouble in their children

•Know what to do and where to go for resources

•Understand how to respond to other at-risk youth

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Curriculum Learning Curriculum Learning ObjectivesObjectives

•To present relevant facts about suicide•To alert students to signs of suicide risk in peers and encourage serious response

•To outline ways to respond to troubled peers•To demonstrate positive attitudes about intervention and help-seeking

•To identify resources

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LIFELINES Student Curriculum Learning Objectives

Session 1- When is a Friend in Trouble?

Define reasons for a unit on suicideExamine personal reactions to a situation

involving a peer’s suicidal behaviorExamine the ways in which our feelings about

suicide influence our actionsIdentify basic facts about suicide

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Session 2: How do I Help a Friend?

•Organize warning signs around FACTS sheets•Name three basic suicide intervention steps•Identify the words to use to ask about suicide

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Session 3: Where Can I Go to Get Help?

• Recognize specific warning signs of suicide• Identify the steps in peer intervention • Define traits of helpful people• Identify school procedures for responding to

suicidal students

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Session 4- How Can I Use What I’ve Learned?

• Demonstrate ability to help a troubled frien

through scripted role-plays• Demonstrate willingness to help self or a troubled friend by signing a “Help-Seeking Pledge” • Identify the “wallet card” as a resource

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Evaluation Results

•Increased knowledge about suicide and school resources

•Increased inclination to tell an adult about an at-risk peer

•Increased confidence in school’s response capability

•Increased referrals

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What Is Your Roleas Parents in Youth Suicide

Prevention?

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Talk about Suicide!

1. Pick a good time2. Be conversational3. Be honest4. Be direct5. Listen to what your child has to say 6. If you get worried, ask more questions7. Revisit the conversation!

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•Don’t worry about overreacting

•Be specific about your concerns

•Expect your child to discountyour concerns

•Ask directly about suicide

•Seek professional consultation

If You Are Concerned . . .

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F = FeelingsA = ActionsC = ChangesT = ThreatsS = Situations

Warning Signs

*Refer to FACTS flyer

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In addition to these warning signs, parents must monitor teens’ computers to see if they are accessing or developing Web sites with themes of death or destruction.

Understand suicide is crisis in communication. If you sense your teen is troubled, it will help if you have established helpful patterns of communication. Here are ways to establish and maintain communication between you and your teen:

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1. Create occasions for communication.•No TV during dinner.•At times, no radio in the car. •Do chores together. •Stop by just before bedtime—teens are more relaxed at this time. •Share information about your day and feelings. • Find common interests/activities.

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2. When you talk with your teen:

• Really listen.• Try to understand his or her viewpoint first• Accept your teen’s feelings and concerns rather than evaluate. • Don’t minimize. • Remember what your teen sees as his or her experience is unique. Let him or her know others may also struggle with these concerns.

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2. When you talk with your teen:

• Don’t compare your teen with siblings, other kids or your childhood • Don’t overreact. • Pause; take a deep breath and listen. Have definitestandardsand limits then decide on the absolute

minimum requirements for behavior, talk, dress etc.

Let the rest go.

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3. Be aware of the pressures and expectations you place on your child. It is difficult to walk the line between preparing kids for life’s pressures and adding too much pressure of your own.

4. Be aware of demands kids place on themselves. This may be a very important source of stress for teens.

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“Acknowledgment always precedes advice or directives.”

~Dr. Haim Ginnott

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If your child seems troubled or makes an out-of-the-blue comment about harming himself or herself, don’t worry about taking it too seriously.

Sit your child down, let him or her know of your concern; say you would rather overreact than underreact; you will always respond to such behavior or statements.

If you are unsure of how to respond to your child, talk to another adult whom you trust: another parent, school personnel, clergy/ religious leader or a mental health provider. Then decide on a specific course of action.

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Remember it is difficult for parents to imagine their teens could feel so bad suicide is a possible alternative. Recall parents statements of teens who died by suicide; they also felt this way. As a parent, listen and take action.

The final points in regard to parents’ responsibilities: (1) teen suicide is more impulsive than adult suicide (2) the primary method of teen suicide is firearms.

Restricting access to means is an important way to prevent suicide. This means keeping firearms locked up, but this is not foolproof. If a teen is depressed, anxious or is exhibiting impulsive behavior, guns should be removed from the house.

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www.sptsnj.orgSociety for the Prevention of Teen SuicideFocuses on resources for the competent school community

www.sprc.orgSuicide Prevention Resource CenterNational resource

www.afsp.orgAmerican Foundation for Suicide PreventionPrinted materials & resources

www.suicidology.orgAmerican Association of SuicidologyData, resources, links

www.maine.gov/suicideMaine Youth Suicide Prevention ProgramExtensive resources and information on youth suicide 

www.maine.gov/suicide/youthMaine Teen Suicide PreventionResources and information for teens

Additional Resources