Suicide Prevention and Resources

Suicide has become one of the major leading causes of death in school-aged youth. However, suicide is preventable. Adolescents who are contemplating suicide frequently give warning signs of their distress. Parents, teachers, and friends are in a key position to pick up on these signs and get help. When all adults and students in the school community are committed to making suicide prevention a priority-and are empowered to take the correct actions-we can help children and teens before they engage in behaviors with irreversible consequences.

Facts about Youth Suicide

• Suicide is the 2^nd leading cause of death of young persons aged 15-24 (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015).
• In 2014, 1,668 youth aged 13-18 years of age died by suicide (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015).
• Among students in grades 9-12 in the United States during 2013 as reported by the CDC (2015):
  • 17% of students seriously considered attempting suicide in the previous 12 months (22.4% of females and 11.6% of males).
  • 13.6% of students made a plan about how they would attempt suicide in the previous 12 months (16.9% of females and 10.3% of males).
• Teens that have attempted suicide in the past are at increased risk of attempting suicide again; in fact, according to the National Youth Violence Prevention Center (2015), about one out of every three teen suicide victims had a prior attempt at suicide.

Suicide Prevention and Raising Awareness

• Suicide Risk Factors - Although these are not perfect predictors, there are particular risk factors that are often associated with increased risk of having suicidal thoughts:
  • Mental illness including Depression or Mood Disorders, Substance Abuse, Eating Disorders, Psychosis, etc.
  • Family Distress
  • Environmental Risks (i.e. access to firearms/weapons, exposure to violence)
  • Situational Crises (i.e. traumatic death of a loved one, abuse)

• Suicide Warning Signs - Research indicates that most youth demonstrate observable behaviors that signal suicidal ideation:
  • Suicidal threats in the form of direct verbalizations (i.e. “I am going to kill myself”) and indirect (i.e. “I wish I could fall asleep and never wake up again”) statements
  • Suicide notes and plans - including online postings
  • Prior suicidal behavior and/or attempts
  • Making final arrangements (i.e. giving away personal belongings, making funeral arrangements, writing a will)
  • Preoccupation with death
  • Changes in behavior, appearance, thoughts and/or feelings

• What to Do - When a youth gives signs that they may be considering suicide, the following actions should be taken:
  • Remain calm
  • Listen non-judgmentally
  • Ask youth directly if he or she is thinking about suicide (i.e. “are you thinking about killing yourself?”; “Are you thinking about suicide?”)
  • Remove means of harm/items that can be used as a weapon
  • Reassure that there is help and that they will not feel like this forever
  • Do not leave youth alone/unsupervised

• Factors that Build Resiliency - The presence of resiliency factors can lessen the potential of risk factors to lead to suicidal ideation and behaviors. Once a child or adolescent is considered at risk, schools, families, and friends should work to build these factors in and around the youth. These include:
  • Family support and communication
  • Peer support and close social networks
  • School and community connections
  • Easy access to effective medical and mental health resources
  • Strong problem solving skills
  • Feeling close to at least one adult
  • Availability of constructive recreation
  • Consistent home and family routine
  • Feeling a sense of control over their own life
  • Good self esteem
  • Healthy practices