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Parents pay attention to your children. 

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Parents pay attention to your children. 

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The Role of the School in Suicide Prevention

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The Role of the School in Suicide Prevention

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Children and adolescents spend a substantial part of their day in school under the supervision of school personnel. Effective suicide and violence prevention is integrated with supportive mental health services, engages the entire school community, and is imbedded in a positive school climate through student behavioral expectations and a trustful student/adult relationship. Therefore, it is crucial for all school staff to be familiar with and watchful for risk factors and warning signs of suicidal behavior.  The entire school staff should work to create an environment where students feel safe sharing such information.  School psychologists and other crisis team personnel, including the school counselor and school administrator, are trained to intervene when a student is identified at risk for suicide. These individuals conduct suicide risk assessment, warn/inform parents, provide recommendations and referrals to community services, and often provide follow up counseling and support at school.

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Suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth between 10 and 19 years of age. However, suicide is preventable. Youth 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. Most important is to never take these warning signs lightly or promise to keep them secret. 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 youth before they engage in behavior with irreversible consequences.

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Causes

Suicide and suicidal behaviors usually occur in people with one or more of the following:

Bipolar disorder

Borderline personality disorder

Depression

Drug or alcohol dependence

Schizophrenia

Stressful life issues, such as serious financial or relationship problems

People who try to commit suicide are often trying to get away from a life situation that seems impossible to deal with. Many who make a suicide attempt are seeking relief from:

Feeling ashamed, guilty, or like a burden to others

Feeling like a victim

Feelings of rejection, loss, or loneliness

Suicidal behaviors may occur when there is a situation or event that the person finds overwhelming, such as:

Aging (the elderly have the highest rate of suicide)

Death of a loved one

Dependence on drugs or alcohol

Emotional trauma

Serious physical illness

Unemployment or money problems

Risk factors for suicide in teenagers include:

Access to guns

Family member who committed suicide

History of hurting themselves on purpose

History of being neglected or abused

Living in communities where there have been recent outbreaks of suicide in young people

Romantic breakup

Symptoms

Often, but not always, a person may show certain symptoms or behaviors before a suicide attempt, including:

Having trouble concentrating or thinking clearly

Giving away belongings

Talking about going away or the need to "get my affairs in order"

Suddenly changing behavior, especially calmness after a period of anxiety

Losing interest in activities they used to enjoy

Performing self-destructive behaviors, such as heavily drinking alcohol, using illegal drugs, or cutting their body

Pulling away from friends or not wanting to go out

Suddenly having trouble in school or work

Talking about death or suicide, or even saying that they want to hurt themselves

Talking about feeling hopeless or guilty

Changing sleep or eating habits

Arranging ways to take their own life (such as buying a gun or many pills)

Treatment

People who are at risk for suicidal behavior may not seek treatment for many reasons, including:

They believe nothing will help

They do not want to tell anyone they have problems

They think asking for help is a sign of weakness

They do not know where to go for help

A person may need emergency treatment after a suicide attempt. They may need first aid, CPR, or more intensive treatments.

People who try to commit suicide may need to stay in a hospital for treatment and to reduce the risk of future attempts. Therapy is one of the most important parts of treatment.

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Suicide and suicidal behavior: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

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Read our article and learn more on MedlinePlus: Suicide and suicidal behavior

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A suicidal person may not ask for help, but that doesn't mean that help isn't wanted. Most people who commit suicide don't want to die—they just want to stop hurting. Suicide prevention starts with recognizing the warning signs and taking them seriously. If you think a friend or family member is considering suicide, you might be afraid to bring up the subject. But talking openly about suicidal thoughts and feelings can save a life.

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1. Nearly 30,000 Americans commit suicide every year.

2. In the U.S., suicide rates are highest during the spring.

3. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-olds and second for 24- to 35-year-olds.

4. On average, one person commits suicide every 16.2 minutes.

5. Each suicide intimately affects at least six other people.

6. About two-thirds of people who complete suicide are depressed at the time of their deaths. Depression that is untreated, undiagnosed, or ineffectively treated is the number one cause of suicide.

7. There is one suicide for every 25 attempted suicides.

8. Males make up 79 percent of all suicides, while women are more prone to having suicidal thoughts.

9. 1 in 65,000 children ages 10 to 14 commit suicide each year.

10. There are twice as many deaths due to suicide than HIV/AIDS.

11. More than half of all suicides are completed with a firearm.