Youth suicide is not something that most of us want to think about let alone talk about. When you are a professional working with youth and their support systems, friends, family and school, this discussion has to happen. It can be tragic if not. Recently, as medics and crisis workers who staff several clinics in our local high schools, my partner and I were asked to train on this subject for our 911 Dispatch Center in-service. After very candid discussions with this group, it reinforced my position that first responders play a key role and often respond to both the calls and to the field with limited knowledge. I wanted to help fill some of that gap.
Youth suicide is on the rise. Locally, we have had our normal annual number of kids die by their own hand already this year. According to the CDC, suicide is the third leading cause of death for youth 10-14 years old and the second leading cause of death for 14-24 year olds. A recent study examining trends in suicidal ideation and suicidal actions published in Pediatrics endorsed the chilling fact that the number of youth being hospitalized for thoughts and attempts has doubled in less than a decade. Another study indicated one in five youth have thought about ending their lives in the last year. Youth are at risk and public safety professionals, especially those of us who work directly with this population need to be proactive.
Myths of Youth Suicide
An article by Kavitha Cardoza, 6 Myths About Suicide That Every Educator And Parent Should Know dispelled several common myths about youth suicide:
· Asking someone about suicide will cause him to become suicidal: When a youth comes to an SRO or calls 911 stating things, such as, “Life is too hard” or “I just don’t want to be around anymore,” be direct. Ask them if they are thinking about hurting themselves or ending their life. You will not be putting the idea of suicide into their heads. They are most likely already thinking about it and the more direct you are, the sooner you can begin having the discussion of safety and supports.
· Depression causes all suicides: Although feelings of depression and hopelessness are shown to be major causes of suicide, most youth are not clinically depressed. In fact only 20% of youth who have completed suicide were diagnosed with depression.
· Suicides always happen in an impulsive moment: Cardoza quotes David Jobes, head of Catholic University’s Suicide Prevention Lab, “The idea that they come out of the blue may happen, but it’s actually quite rare.” Most of the time the youth has been thinking about suicide for a while and there is a trail of signs.
· Young children, ages 5 through 12, cannot be suicidal: Jobes indicates that young children do take their own lives and that 30 to 35 children under the age of 12 complete suicide in the US each year.
Reasons
Everybody wants to know why. Even the Netflix show 13 Reasons Why, which would be a whole other discussion indicates this. Here are a few identified reasons:
· Chronic depression or other chronic mental health issues
· Gender identity/sexual orientation
· Social isolation/bullying
· Disharmonious relationships (that first major break-up is hard)
· Grief/loss from the death of a friend or loved one, especially from suicide
· Financial instability
· Homelessness (a survey in my county indicated that 4.8% of the youth in our public schools were homeless)
· Conflicts at home
Social Media
A lot of research is being conducted around the impact of social media on our youth and particularly on its suicidal effect. A number of courts are deciding how much culpability to assign cyberbullies when their victim completes suicide. What isn’t being debated is that social media changes the playing field. It has brought a global society into our homes 24/7. When I was a teen back in the late 90’s the worse that could happen was a bully would call on my family’s land-line and hang up. Now youth have an incredible reach to harass someone constantly with an audience and the victim doesn’t have a refuge from it. There’s also the factor of two distinct persons, our on-line personality and existence and our real one. When these are disconnected, feelings of hopelessness, isolation and inadequacy emerge. All of these can lead to thoughts of suicide.
Supporting Suicidal Youth on the Phone and in the Field
As a first responder, when you encounter a suicidal youth it can be scary and intense. We’re afraid we will say or do the wrong things. There really isn’t a wrong thing unless you respond dismissively including not responding at all. The two most important things to remember are: connection and time. In public safety, especially in 911 Dispatch we’re not encouraged to personalize our interactions. But in this situation, it is important. Give the caller your name. Ask them theirs. Help them see you as a valid person and that you see them as a valid person. Then, take time with them. Again, this can be against our normal way of conducting business but a youth contemplating suicide needs that time. If they’re talking to you, they aren’t doing something to themselves, a trainer recently explained at APCO.
Supporting Survivors
When a friend or loved one discovers a completed suicide, especially of a youth it is devastating. Sometimes there aren’t even words to describe the depth of suffering that occurs in a situation such as this. When a survivor calls 911 or interacts with an officer in the field, the most important thing to remember is that any feelings are normal and okay. When exposed to this type of trauma, often people react in ways that are perceived as unusual not only to first responders but also to themselves. It is not uncommon for someone to be very, very angry. Normalize their feelings. Next assess their support system. Most people need other people when something tragic happens and they need the people they rely on for support. Helping the survivor access those people allows them to be surrounded by care as soon as possible.
Talking about youth suicide is difficult. It’s not a topic most of us want to think about. The death of a child by their own hand is such a loss of potential and an unbelievable tragedy. Unfortunately, the numbers show us that we will continue to see more and more. We must be prepared to acknowledge the signs, support a youth having suicidal ideation, know how to assess for lethality and make a safety plan and support survivors. Lives depend upon public safety professionals being direct and able to approach this topic with confidence and caring.
Michelle Perin
Michelle Perin has been a freelance writer since 2000. In December 2010, she earned her Master’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Indiana State University.
