Suicide Statistics
Thousands of teens commit suicide each year in the United States. Suicide is the SECOND leading cause of death for college-age and youth, ages 12-18. (CDC, 2016).
It results in approximately 4,600 lives lost each year. The top three methods used in suicides of young people include firearm (45%), suffocation (40%), and poisoning (8%).
90% of suicidal youth feel their families don’t understand them. Conversely, studies have shown that 86% of parents were unaware of their child’s suicidal behavior.
More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease, COMBINED.
Each day in our nation, there are an average of over 5,240 attempts by young people grades 7-12.
Four out of Five teens who attempt suicide have given clear warning signs.
Suicide Risk Factors
A student who is defined as high-risk for suicide is one who has made a suicide attempt, has the intent to die by suicide, or has displayed a significant change in behavior suggesting the onset or deterioration of a mental health condition.
Some Risk Factors Include:
- History of prior suicide attempt Family history of suicide
- History of any mental illness including depression, conduct disorders
- Alcohol or drug abuse
- Family stress/dysfunction
- Environmental risks, including presence of a firearm in the home
- Situational crises (e.g., Traumatic death of a loved one, physical or sexual abuse or family violence).
- Exposure to suicidal behavior of others
Suicide Resiliency Factors
The presence of resiliency factors can lessen the potential of risk factors that 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.
Resiliency factors include the following:
- Family support and cohesion, including good communication
- Peer support and close social networks
- School and community connectedness
- Cultural or religious beliefs that discourage suicide and promote healthy living
- Adaptive coping and problem-solving skills, including conflict-resolution
- General life satisfaction, good self-esteem, sense of purpose
- Easy access to effective medical and mental health resources
Suicide Warning Signs
Most suicidal youth demonstrate observable behaviors that signal their suicidal thinking. Parents and educators need to be aware of some of the warning signs of depression and suicide.
Suicide warning signs include the following:
- Withdrawal from friends and family members
- Suicidal threats in the form of direct (“I am going to kill myself”) and indirect (“I wish I could fall asleep and never wake up again”) statements.
- Difficulty getting along with others
- Changes in quality of schoolwork or lower grades
- Changes in eating habits
- Sleep disturbance
- Suicide notes and plans (including online postings).
- Prior suicidal behavior
- Preoccupation with death
- Changes in behavior, appearance, thoughts and/or feelings
- Making final arrangements (e.g., Making funeral arrangements, writing a will, giving away prized possessions).
Detecting & Identifying Risk Students
Specific things to look out for include:
TALK
If a student talks about:
- Being a burden to others
- Feeling trapped
- Experiencing unbearable pain
- Killing themselves
BEHAVIOR
- Increased use of alcohol or drugs
- Looking for a way to kill themselves, such as searching online
- for materials and means
- Looking for a way to kill themselves, such as Acting recklessly
- Withdrawing from activities
- Isolating from family and friends
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Visiting or calling people to say goodbye
- Giving away prized possessions
- Aggression
MOOD
People who are considering suicide often display one or more of the following moods:
- Depression
- Loss of interest
- Rage
- Irritability
- Humiliation
- Anxiety
Prevention
Prevention is key! Educators can make a difference with prevention in two ways: 1.By watching out for students who may be at risk 2.For an even broader impact helping start a suicide-screening program at their school.
It’s important for schools to provide faculty and staff with recent information on adolescent suicide, have policies and procedures in place and educate all staff members on how to respond to students who are at risk of suicide.
Important aspects of any suicide prevention program should include:
- Risk factors associated with suicide
- Resources for help
- Facts and statistics about suicide
- How to help yourself or a loved one
With this knowledge, students and teachers alike can learn how to identify warning signs, whether within themselves or those around them. Once these signs are recognized, students and staff will have the skills and knowledge they need to reach out for help. When suicide prevention resources are enabled, the risk of suicide amongst teens will decrease. Teens are a vulnerable population of individuals and to maintain proper health, both physically and mentally, they must be given the proper resources. By adding suicide prevention to a school’s curriculum, students are better able to handle and address suicidal thoughts or intentions. Prevention can save lives, especially those of younger populations who are at higher risk.
Suicide.Org offers free suicide prevention programs that can be utilized in schools.
Intervention
As part of a comprehensive suicide prevention and intervention program, it is essential that schools have written protocols for responding to: (a) student’s presenting with warning signs of suicide, (b) a suicide attempt, and (c) a suicide completion. As an integral part of responding to any school crisis, it is suggested that schools have a crisis intervention team.
When a student is identified as potentially suicidal, he or she needs to be seen by a school mental health professional immediately, no exceptions. If there is no mental health professional in the building, the designated school administrator will need to lead this role until a mental health professional can be brought in, the goals of intervention are to ensure student safety, assess and respond to the level of risk, determine the services needed, and ensure appropriate care. (Brock et al., 2006).
Assessing risk- The designated reporter should be trained to determine the student’s level of risk and empowered to seek administrative support.
Here are three key questions that must be included in any interview:
1. Have you ever thought of committing suicide?
2. Have you ever attempted suicide before?
3. Do you have a plan to harm yourself now?
Once an assessment has been conducted, the parents/guardians must be notified, referrals must be provided, everything should be documented, and follow-up should be in place.
The Role of the School Psychologist & Counselors
School psychologist and school counselors are professionals who can assist students who are at risk of suicide. It is important to follow your school districts protocol regarding suicide risk. It’s also important to take every case seriously and address the student immediately.
Some initial duties include the following:
Suicide risk assessment:
An evaluation of a student who may be at risk for suicide, conducted by the appropriate school staff (e.g., school psychologist, school counselor, or school social worker).
- Contact parents and/or law enforcement
- Create a safety plan
- Provide resources
Parent Notification & Follow Up
PARENT NOTIFICATION
It is important for school’s to contact the parents regarding their child’s suicide risk immediately. Parent involvement is important, and it is important to provide families with resources as well, and let them know the signs to look for when identifying the risk of suicide. “Parents and guardians play a key role in youth suicide prevention, and it is important for the school district to involve them in suicide prevention efforts. Parents/ guardians need to be informed and actively involved in decisions regarding their child’s welfare” (AFSP, 2017).
Parents and guardians who learn the warning signs and risk factors for suicide are better equipped to connect their children with professional help when necessary. Parents/ guardians should be advised to take every statement regarding suicide and wish to die seriously and avoid assuming that a child is simply seeking attention.
FOLLOW UP PROCEDURES
- If a student has made an overt suicide attempt or has experienced a mental health crisis in school, a request will be made of his/her parent/guardian to have a mental health assessment of the student.
- The returning student should not be treated any differently than any other student who has been absent due to illness. A student should return to his/her normal routine within the school, as much as possible.
- Periodic checks should be made by the school’s crisis team with the student’s teachers, mental health counselors, and other appropriate school staff. Attendance records and academic standing reports should be reviewed periodically in order to assess and evaluate the student’s overall judgment.
Student Resources
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Access Line: 1-800-273-8255 Available 24 hours everyday
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: The Lifeline is a 24-hour, toll-free suicide prevention service available to anyone in suicidal crisis or their friends and loved ones. Call 1.800.273.8255 (TALK). Callers are routed to the closest possible crisis center in their area. http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Regional Suicide Prevention & Crisis Services
The Effort –
1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-SUICIDE or 530-885-2300 Available 24/7/365.
Suicide Prevention Crisis Lines, Nationally Accredited Crisis Center, trained crisis line staff off risk assessment, safety planning, and explore community resources for those in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Services in all languages through interpretation and bilingual staffing. Also offer follow up calls to those in suicidal crisis; ASIST and Safe Talk Trainings; Survivors of Suicide Loss outreach
American Foundation of Suicide Prevention. (n.d). Model School District Policy on Suicide Prevention. Retrieved April 12, 2017, from https://afsp.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Model-Policy_FINAL.pdf
American Psychological Association. (2014). Suicidal Behavior in Children and Adolescents. Retrieved April 12, 2017, from https://www.apa.org/about/governance/president/suicidal-behavior-adolescents.pdf
Association of American Educators. (2016). The Benefits of Teaching Suicide Prevention in Schools. Retrieved April 12, 2017, from https://www.aaeteachers.org/index.php/blog/1633-the-benefits-of-teaching-suicide-prevention-in-schoolsBehavioral Health and Recovery Services. (2017). Suicide Prevention. Retrieved April 17, 2017, from http://www.stancounty.com/bhrs/suicide-prevention.shtm
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Edutopia. (2009). Suicide Prevention Can Start at School. Retrieved April 7, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/teenage-suicide-prevention-screening-programs
Learn Psychology. (2017). Suicide and Depression Awareness for Students. Retrieved April 17, 2017, from http://www.learnpsychology.org/suicide-depression-student-guidebook/
National Association of School Psychologist. (2017). Preventing Youth Suicide: Tips for Parents and Educators. Retrieved April 10, 2017, from https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources/school-safety-and-crisis/preventing-youth-suicide/preventing-youth-suicide-tips-for-parents-and-educators
PA Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative. (n.d). Suicide Prevention & Intervention Resources. Retrieved April 21, 2017, from http://www.oleyvalleysd.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Suicide-Prevention-Resources.pdf
Suicide.Org. (n.d.). Suicide, Awareness and Support. Retrieved April 10, 2017, from http://www.suicide.org/suicide-prevention-program.html
Teen Suicide Statistics. (2016). Teen Suicide Statistics. Retrieved April 10, 2017, from https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/emotional-problems/Pages/Teen-Suicide-Statistics.aspx
