Friday, February 26, 2010
Suicide is the act of taking one's own life on purpose. Suicidal behavior can range from thoughts of killing oneself to actually going through with the act.Mental health experts and advocates nationwide agree that preventing teen suicide is possible but that it requires community wide work and a heavy dose of education.
"What we have to do is teach parents that depression is an illness, and it's medical, and it can be treated," said Paula Clayton, medical director for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. "If you don't treat it, it can be fatal."
"There is a high correlation between mental illness and suicide"
The federal Centers for Disease Control's most recent statistics show that 33,300 people died by suicide in 2006, with 1,771 of those being children ages 10 to 19. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 24.
The number of those who die by suicide increases with age. The rate for youths ages 10 to 14 who die by suicide is one per 100,000. That number grows to seven per 100,000 for ages 15 to 19 and nearly doubles to 13 per 100,000 for ages 20 to 24.
"It is important to be honest and direct with your child," said Mercedes Coleman, director of education for Crisis Support Services of Alameda
For the past 23 years, the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention has been a leading agency working to prevent suicide with an extensive education program, research and advocacy.
"The current economic situation also causes a lot of stress for students, who may be the first generation in America to have a lower standard of living than previous generations."
A combination of biological, emotional, intellectual and social factors play a part in suicide risk. Factors that may contribute to teenage suicidal risk include:
- Sadness
- Stress
- Poor school performance
- Peer pressure
- Grief
- Learning disabilities
- Illness or physical disabilities
- Desire to be perfect
- Lack of friends
- Questions about sexual identity
- Feelings of being disliked
What can be done to prevent the condition?
Suicide prevention consists of taking a person's suicide threats seriously. Others should also watch for signs that a person is planning to commit suicide. Steps include:
- Listening carefully to the person at risk
- Offering an open, non-judgmental conversation
- Offering the person a positive solution
- Discussing options for seeking help
- Offering support for the person in finding help and treatment
posted by emedinfo
@9:44 PM
permanent link |
|
| Bookmark & Share |
|
<< Home