Title: Adolescent Suicide By: Kayla Dunn, Mary Flanagan, Adam Hall, Anna Miller, and Wesley Strother
1Adolescent SuicideBy Kayla Dunn, Mary
Flanagan, Adam Hall, Anna Miller, and Wesley
Strother
2Facts
- Suicide is the third-leading cause of death in
adolescents - Between 6 and 13 percent of adolescents attempt
suicide at least once during their teenage years - Mostly due to psychological disorders (90)
- Depression
- Also, due to substance abuse
3Myths
- All suicidal people really want to die. WRONG!
- Mostly looking for a permanent solution to a
temporary problem. - Taking the easy way out
- Those who talk about suicide never do it. WRONG!
- Discussing suicide with a suicidal person
increases the risk of him/her committing suicide.
WRONG!
4Myths, Cont.
- Once signs of improvement are shown, the danger
is over. WRONG! - Once a person fails, he/she will never try again.
WRONG! - Past attempts predict future attempts
5Detecting Teens at Risk
- Clues may be direct or indirect
- May be verbal or behavioral
- When determining if a teen is at risk, eliminate
all myths
6Verbal Clues
- Most obvious of warning signs
- Indirect clues
- I cant take it anymore!
- Youll miss me when Im gone.
- I wont be here when you return.
- Direct clues
- I want to die.
- Im going to kill myself.
- If this happens again, Im going to end it
all.
7Behavioral Clues
- Indirect clues
- Giving away prized possessions
- Making a will
- Saying good-bye to family and friends
- Extreme cases of irritability, guilt, and crying
- Direct clues
- Failed suicide attempts
8Failed Suicide Attempt
9Intervention What to Do
- No kill contract promising not to inflict
harm upon oneself - Remove anything accessible to adolescent that may
cause harm - Guns, Ammunition, Pills, Ropes, Sharp Objects
- Watch at all times
- If out of control, institutionalize
10Intervention What Not to Do
- Honesty is the best policy
- Do not be falsely reassuring, ex. Telling the
adolescent that everyone loves him, everyone is
his friend, etc.
11Adolescent Impact
12Adolescent Impacts
- Suicidal behavior is the end result of a complex
interaction of psychiatric, social and family
factors. - Some social changes might be related to the rise
in adolescent suicide.
13Stressful Events that can Trigger Suicidal
Behavior
- Previous suicide attempts.
- A family that member has committed suicide.
- Recent losses Death of someone close to you,
divorce in the family, or relationship break up. - Social isolation Having no social alternative.
14Stressful Events that can Trigger Suicidal
Behavior cont
- Drug or alcohol abuse Drugs and alcohol decrease
impulse control and some individuals try to
self-medicate their depression with drugs or
alcohol. - Exposure to violence In the home or the social
environment The individual sees violent behavior
as a viable solution to life problems. - Having handguns in the home.
15Suicide has a powerful effect on the individuals
family, school and community.
- Anyone close to someone who has committed suicide
may experience - Fear
- Rage
- Guilt
- Depression
- Disbelief
16Cont
- Shock
- Self-Doubt
- They may feel responsible for not recognizing the
signs. - Feel Angry at the victim for deserting
themselves. - A feeling of loss and emptiness.
17Impact
- Adolescents may often support a suicidal friend
by themselves. If they do not try to get their
friend help and then they commit suicide, the
adolescent will feel a tremendous burden of guilt
and failure. - It is very important for teens to listen to
suicidal youth in an empathetic way but they
should also make sure that they report suicidal
statements to a responsible adult to make sure
that the teen can obtain help.
18Impact, Cont.
- Recovery from loss may take 1-2 years.
- -There are intense feeling that have to be
worked through as they accept the loss.
19Copycat Suicide
- Where one person commits suicide and this gives
permission for others to commit suicide too. - This is especially true when the suicide is
getting a lot of attention from the media.
20Continuity of Adolescent Suicide
21Risk Levels of Suicidal Adolescents
- Low Risk Teens
- May joke about suicide from time to time.
- Repeatedly seek treatment of similar somatic
complaints - High Risk Teens
- A comprehensive plan including the method, place,
time, and clear intent.
22Treatment Options for Low Risk Teens
- A thorough assessment of the adolescents concerns
should be performed by a Pediatrician or a
Child/Adolescent Psychologist. - A follow-up appointment with the evaluator should
be arranged to establish a treatment plan and
check the teens progress with that treatment
plan. - EVEN LOW RISK SUICIDAL TEENS SHOULD RECEIVE
PROPER MEDICAL ATTENTION TO PREVENT THE CONDITION
FROM WORSENING.
23Treatment of High Risk Teens
- Contact a mental health professional
IMMEDIATELY!! - There are several options for immediate
evaluation of suicidal teens - Emergency Room
- Hospitalization
- Same day appointment with a mental health
professional.
24Continued Treatment of High Risk Teens
- A comprehensive emotional and psychosocial
evaluation must be completed prior to discharge
from the hospital. - Family Members should also be interviewed to help
define further explanations of the teens
attempt. - Teachers and family friends may also provide
helpful information about the teen. - Intervention should fit the teens needs.
- Pediatricians can enhance the continuity and
compliance of the treatment by keeping regular
contact with the suicidal teen after making
referrals. - ALL FIREARMS SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE HOUSE IN
WHICH THE TEEN RESIDES!!
25Crisis Control Within the School
- Schools often ask pediatricians to report do the
school to provide crises control. - Provide medical information about the cause of
death as well as explain health implications from
an attempted suicide - Help the nurse attend somatic complaints of the
teens fellow classmates - Reports the incident to fellow pediatricians,
raising their vigilance - It is important to remember that no intervention
has been proven to predict or prevent suicide.
26A Few Questions Following Teen Suicide
- Who should be involved in responding to the teen
suicide? To do what? - Who should be told about the event? When?
- What should they be told?
- Funeral?
- If the suicide occurred within the school, how
should the site be managed? - Should student suicide prevention curriculum be
instituted? - How long should intervention and vigilance last
after the tragedy? - Memorial? Anniversary?
27Cultural Differences Statistics
- In 1998, white males accounted for 61 of all
suicides among youth age 10-19. - White males and females accounted for over 84 of
all youth suicides. - According to the Center for Disease Control, in
2004 American Indian and Alaskan Natives had the
highest rate of suicide between the ages of 15-24.
28Statistics, contd
- From 1981-1998, suicide rate increased most among
black males 10-19 - Rate more than doubled from 2.9 per 100,000 to
6.1 per 100,000. - 1999 nationwide high school survey showed
Hispanic students were almost two times more
likely than white students to have reported a
suicide attempt (12.8 vs. 6.7) - Of the 12.8, Hispanic females were almost three
times more likely than Hispanic males to have
reported a suicide attempt (18.9 vs. 6.6)
29Socio Environmental Differences
- There are few differences in SES from the general
population, except among African Americans. - African American suicides tend to have higher SES
than general black population. - Those who attempt to commit suicide are less like
to attend college than same-age, same-sex general
population.
30Gender Differences
- Girls are more likely to attempt suicide
- Boys are more likely to succeed
- Use more violent methods
- Hanging, single vehicle car accidents, shooting
or stabbing themselves, jumping from heights - Girls tend to use less violent methods
- Taking pills
- Cutting
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33Families
- Youth who commit suicide are to some extent more
likely to come from a broken home than are
others of their same ethnic group. - However, about half lived with both biological
parents at time of death - One mutual factor for most cases is poor
parent-child communication.
34Families, contd
- High proportion of suicides and attempted
suicides had a close family member or friend who
committed or attempted suicide. - Familial suicide could be in part due to
imitation or genetics. - If risk of suicide is genetic, it is unclear
whether it is a predisposition to mental illness
or an underlying personality that is inherited.
35Places to Receive Help
- Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Department of Neuropsychiatry. - Division of Psychiatry
- Texas Suicide and Crisis Hotline
- http//suicidehotlines.com/texas.html
- Troubled Teen 101
- www.troubledteen101.com
36Sources
- Author Unknown. (Apr 2000). Suicide and Suicide
Attempts in Adolescents. Pediatrics, Part 1 of 2,
Vol. 105, Issue 4, 871-875. - Popenhagen, Mark P. and Roxanne M. Qualley (Apr.
1998). Adolescent Suicide Detection,
Intervention, and Prevention. Professional School
Counseling, Vol. 1(4), 30-36. - Rice, F. P. Dolgin, K. G. (2005). The
adolescent Development, relationships and
culture (11th ed.). Boston Pearson