TEENAGE SUICIDE

PREVENTION
Peri Fredrick
Suicide and Risk Factors
■ Definition: “Death caused by injuring oneself with the intent to die” (CDC)
■ Risk Factors:
– Access to firearms and prescription medications
– Psychological disorders
– A previous suicide attempt
– Substance abuse
– Lack of emotional support
– Loneliness or isolation
– Sexuality differences
– Bullying by peers
– Emotional, physical, or sexual abuse
Warning signs

■ Loss of interest in things the individual used to enjoy

■ Discusses death
■ Retreats from friends and family
■ Begins giving things away
■ Risky behaviors
■ Difficulty concentrating
■ Poor academic performance
■ Substance abuse
Why Suicide? Why teenagers?
■ “10th leading cause of death in the United States” (CDC)
■ “It is the second leading cause of death for people 10 to 34 years of age…” (CDC)
■ Suicide is a completely preventable cause of death
■ The teenage years are often a trying time for most individuals
■ It is a time of extreme vulnerability and uncertainty that can be made easier with the proper
support
■ The distress of teenage years correlates with the high levels of suicide rates in teenagers
■ Suicide could easily be prevented in this demographic through prevention efforts and
awareness
Terrible Teens
■ The teenage years bring many uncertainties and difficulties
– Pressures in academics, athletics, and social scenes
– Bullying
– Anxiety
– Depression
– Sexual identity
– New relationships
– New social dynamics
– Uncertainty within the family
 Education and Prevention in Schools
■ Implement a suicide prevention plan in middle and high schools
– Allow parents to also be include in the curriculum
– Curriculum should include risk factors, warning signs, and ways to
get help for suicidal thoughts and emotions
■ Suicide Awareness Voice of Education (SAVE) provides a great education
program for suicide prevention
– Their program is for high school and college students
– Key highlight is reducing the stigma about discussing suicide
– https://save.org/what-we-do/education/smart-schools-program-2/
Education and Prevention in Schools
Continued
■ Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) provides curricula for suicide prevention
for middle and high school student
– Engages parents and school faculty throughout the program
– Also focuses on reducing the stigma around suicide and depression
– Has been proven to decrease suicide attempts
– https://www.sprc.org/resources-programs/sos-signs-suicide
References
■ American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. (2018, June). Suicide in Children and
Teens. Retrieved from
https://www.aacap.org/AACAP/Families_and_Youth/Facts_for_Families/FFF- Guide/Teen-Suicide-
010.aspx
■ APA Psychologist Locator. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://locator.apa.org/?
_ga=2.149304945.615495851.1587334415174233 2024.1587334415
■ Lyness, D. A. (Ed.). (2015, August). About Teen Suicide (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth.
Retrieved from https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/suicide.html
■ Not My Kid. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.sptsusa.org/not-my-kid/
■ SMART Schools Program. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://save.org/what-we- do/education/smart-
schools-program-2/
■ SOS Signs of Suicide Middle School and High School Prevention Programs. (2016). Retrieved
from https://www.sprc.org/resources-programs/sos-signs-suicide
■ Suicide|Violence Prevention|Injury Center|CDC. (2019, September 3). Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/suicide/index.html
■ Talking to teens. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/teens-suicide- prevention