by Laura Heebner, Crider Center for Mental Health; Steve Huss, Comtrea Community Treatment Inc.; Lesley Levin, Behavioral Health Response; Amanda Murphy, Hopewell Center Inc.; Mark Stansberry, BJC Behavioral Health
The smiling faces captured for high school yearbook photos sometimes mask a deep, impenetrable pain. And when such photos, mementos and memories are all that remain after a teen suicide, the images haunt family members, friends, teachers and touch even strangers for years to come.
No community is immune to teen suicide. When asked about a recent teen suicide, one principal lamented that adults don't know how to deal with depression in children, that the children are tucked "in a closet." Before his suicide, one teen said he didn't want to return to his school for fear of how people would react to his mental illness.
For 15- to 24-year-olds, suicide is the third leading cause of death behind accidents and homicide. Every year, an average of 1,890 suicides occur in teens 15-19. More than 1,600 of them are boys. Alhough girls are more likely to attempt suicide, boys are four times more likely to die.
Knowing these disturbing statistics, organizations throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area work with and in schools to provide information and educational programs to help counselors and teachers recognize suicide risk among teens. They also offer resources for intervention, and counseling and grief support if those interventions fail.
Dealing with suicide risk among teens proves especially difficult. Teens tend to act more on impulse, are prone to react more intensely to external factors such as divorce or a break-up, and may feel overwhelmed by immediate circumstances, because they lack the internal resources and energy to cope.
Tragically, not every teen suicide can be prevented. But adults can be armed with knowledge and information to at least be able to try. While a single, isolated warning sign is not necessarily a prelude to suicide, a cluster of warning signs -- within a context of frustration, mental illness, recent loss, alienation or deep disappointment -- could indicate a suicide risk. Some signs include:
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Behaviors Previous suicide attempts, marked changes in behavior or personality, dramatic changes in activity levels, giving away possessions, extreme risk-taking and poor school performance
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Depressive Symptoms Loss of pleasure in activities that once were enjoyed, long-term or exaggerated apathy and unusually long grief reaction
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Verbal Warnings Expression of suicidal thoughts or wishes, preoccupation with death or weapons, statements that others would be "better off without me" or "won't miss me"
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External Factors Recent loss of a close relationship through death, divorce or other situation; serious discipline conflicts; recent loss of status or possessions; suicide within the family
An adult who becomes concerned about a teen can:
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Ask Questions -- Asking a young person about their feelings can help them feel more understood and less trapped; you also could learn if the teen has a suicide plan
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Listen -- Encourage teens to talk about their feelings; give full attention and do not interrupt, lecture or debate; let them know you care, and appeal to them to talk to you again before taking any action
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Take Action -- Don't be sworn to secrecy; seek professional resources through the teen's school or a local agency
There is nothing worse than the death of a child . . . unless it is the death of a child by his or her own hand. Those left behind -- parents, siblings, sweethearts, friends, teachers -- frequently are wracked with guilt and "what ifs." Knowing what to look for and who to call can be a first step toward getting help for a teen in need.
Crisis Hotlines
Behavioral Health Response Crisis Hotline: 314.469.6644
Life Crisis Hotline: 314.647.4357
BJC Behavioral Health: 314.729.4004
For Teens
Kids Under Twenty-One: 314.644.5886