Crime Prevention Tips - Suicide Prevention Tips

There are over 30,000 suicides in the US every year. We believe that, fundamentally, all communities care about human life and will go to great lengths to prevent and mitigate the human suffering that precipitates suicidal behavior and the agony and pain survivors experience in its aftermath. Take the time to question someone who is depressed or appears to have mental health issues, persuade them to get help, and refer them to someone who can assist them.

Some basic suicidal facts: in Ohio there are 2-3 suicides for every homicide, many suicides involve drugs and alcohol, in the age group 15-24 there is 1 suicide for every 200 attempts, in college 1 in 10 have the ideation of suicide and 1 in 12 have planned a suicide, in the 65 and over group there is 1 suicide in every 4 attempts, 14.5% of our high school students have considered suicide and 6.9% have attempted it, women attempt suicide 2-3 times more than males and tend to OD or take poison, males are successful at lethal suicide (gun etc) 4 times more than females, there are more suicides in spring and summer than during Xmas or holidays, elderly persons are more likely to commit suicide around birthdays or anniversaries (death of loved one etc.), states with the highest suicide rates are Montana Nevada Alaska (they have access to guns and are away from services and are isolated more), states with the lowest suicide rates are NJ NY RI DC (more people to watch, more services etc.), locally KY ranks 17th , IN 27th, and OH 28^th, it’s a myth that confronting a suicidal subject makes them angry and increases their risk rather asking them directly lowers anxiety and opens communication lines, it’s a myth that those who talk about suicide won’t do it rather they will still try.

Tips to Talking to a Depressed and/or Suicidal Teen (Children’s Hospital Recommended Steps)

Listen and look for signs of depression and warning signs of suicide

· Listen without showing shock or surprise or expressing judgment. Accept feelings without shaming the person.

· Listen without interrupting and allow the person to talk.

· Listen to the person's feelings and encourage him or her to express those feelings. This will help process his or her thoughts. Imagine how the teen feels to say what he's saying or to have gone through what she has gone through and speak to the teen about those feelings (i.e. "You seem upset" or "You look so sad" or "You sound angry about that" or "That must have really hurt" or "I can imagine you are very frustrated about that").

Ask constructive questions and specific questions about suicide

· Constructive questions: Ask questions such as "What makes you feel this way?" or "What is the problem?" If he or she can identify a problem, ask what was done about it. Perhaps offer positive ways to cope or remind the person of positive ways he or she has coped in the past.

· Specific questions about suicide: If the person is making vague statements or seems very depressed and you think he or she may be suicidal, ask, "Have you been having thoughts of wanting to die?" or "Do you want to die?" or "Are you telling me you don't want to live anymore?" or "Have you ever felt so bad that you wished you could just end it all?"

· Don't be afraid you will give the person the idea to commit suicide. Instead, you're giving him or her permission to talk about it. If the person tells you he or she does want to die, ask, "Have you thought it out?" or "Do you have a plan to die?" or "Have you ever tried to hurt yourself?" If the answer is yes to any of these questions, the situation is serious and needs to be addressed immediately. However, any talk of suicide needs to be taken seriously.

Support the person by

· Telling him or her about depression and how it causes a person to think, feel and act this way. Identify people that can help, such as a trusted adult.

· Telling the person how much you care (they often feel no one cares) and remind him or her that suicide is something permanent while the problem is something temporary.

· Not agreeing to keep this a secret. You can agree to keep it confidential and not to gossip about it, but tell the person you need to tell someone that can help. If you did agree to keep this a secret, then break it! It's better to have a mad friend then a dead friend.

· Not using reverse psychology, such as saying, "Okay, go ahead and kill yourself if that's what you want to do." This will not make the person snap out of it. Instead, it will challenge him or her to prove to you that he or she is serious. It also may show the person that you don't really care.

· Offering hope instead of minimizing the problem. Instead of saying, "You don't have it all that bad. There are a lot of people who have it worse," say instead, "no matter what you've been through, things can get better. Depression can be treated," or "Things will seem better once you get help."

· Acting immediately if the person has a plan, especially if the plan is a gun. Guns increase the risk of suicide 20 times.

· Going with the person to get help instead of telling him or her to go talk to someone about it.

Tell an adult who can help

· Take the person to see a counselor, school nurse, a teacher, parent, or other trusted adult. If the person refuses to go for help, then go yourself to one of these people. Saying things to the person such as "no one else has to know," "please do this for me" or "I can't leave you alone until I'm sure you'll be safe," may persuade the person to seek help with you. Nevertheless, you need to take steps to make sure he or she doesn't carry out the plan or have access to the plan.

· Tell one of these professionals who can help if you are the parent or legal guardian:

o Family doctor or pediatrician

o Mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, or psychotherapist

Get help for the person even if he or she doesn't have a plan to commit suicide. Having thoughts of suicide is a sign of depression and makes the person at risk for suicide. Offer to go with the person to get help.

Suicide Warning Signs (In terms of timeframe, warning signs imply near-term risk. A single warning sign by itself may not warrant overt action……. when a cluster of indicators is present then the risk becomes more serious……some warning signs carry more weight than others…..some proximal risk factors that are “triggers” or “last straws” include: crisis in relationship, loss of freedom, fired/expelled, illness, major loss…..)

Hopelessness
Violent fantasy content
Anger problems
Loner/isolation
Lack of family friends or connections to the community
Poor living choices
Poor relationships
Fascination with weapons
Boasting and practicing of fighting and combat proficiency
Suicidal ideation
Homicidal ideation
Stalking
Non-compliance and discipline problems
Imitation of other murders
Interest in previous shooting situations
Victim/martyr self-concept
Strange and aberrant behavior
Paranoia violence and cruelty
Acting out
Police contacts
Mental health history
Expressionless face
Unusual interest in police, military materials
Use of alcohol drugs
Blows to self esteem (ball player injury, or school failure)
Unexpected pregnancy
Chronic Unemployment
Perfectionist – over achiever
Mood changes
Disruptive or unsupportive family behavior

Protective Factors (The wall of resistance to suicide – if we can establish some of these protective factors we may be able to achieve a sense of hope to get them focused on hope instead of the pain and troubles)

Sobriety – if they are not sober many of these other factors will not work
Connections to others (family, church, community etc.)
Counselor or therapist
Duty to others
Good Health
Medication Compliance
Fear
Job security or job skills
Responsibility for children
Loving relationships
Support systems
Support of significant others
Difficult access to means of suicide
Positive Self Esteem
Pets
Religious Prohibition
Calm environment
AA or NA sponsor
Best friends
Safety plan – created prior to crisis situation
Treatment availability
A sense of HOPE

Healthy ideas for each of us to mange life’s pressures
Connect with others – talking to others that care about you can cut stress and help you to keep focus.
Relax your mind.
Exercise – good health leads to clearer thinking.
Get enough rest – sleeps helps you recover from stress.
Help others – this keeps your mind off of your troubles.
Know your limits – let others know them too. Learn how to say NO.
Keep a journal – writing your thoughts can help you to work through the stress and ID triggers.
Watch your negative self talk – Try not to put yourself down.
Get involved in spiritual activities – many times this leads to better coping skills, and sense of hope.
Write down three good things that happen to you each day or week – concentrate on the positive

Below are some links to check out.
Suicide Prevention
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (Childhood mental illness)
American Association of Suicidology (AAS) (Suicide facts, warning signs, support groups, crisis centers)
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) (Suicide stats, info for survivors, research info)
Centerpoint Health.org
Children’s Hospital Suicide Prevention Program Surviving the teens
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Indiana Suicide Prevention Coalition
International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) (International efforts)
Endingsuicide.com
Guidetofeelingbetter.org
Kentucky Suicide Prevention.org
Lindner Center of Hope.org (Local Comprehensive Mental Health Care Center) 536-HOPE (4673)
Living Works.net (ASIST SAFETALK Training)
Mental Health America   (Fact sheets, find a therapist)
Mental Health Association of Southwest Ohio (Mental Health Resource Directory)
Mental Health Screening.org
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill
National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Hamilton County   Phone 351-3500
My Space Suicide Prevention
National Institute of Mental Health
Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation
Out of the Darkness AFSP Community Walks
Partnership for Mental Health.org
QPR Institute (QPR Training)
Stop a Suicide.org
Suicide.org
Suicide Awareness/Voices of Education   (Education and advocate for survivors)
Suicide Prevention Advocacy Network (SPAN)   (Awareness and national events)
Suicide Prevention Lifeline.org   1-800-273-TALK (8255)
Suicide Prevention Research Center
Suicide Read this first www.metanoia.org/suicide (Resources for persons in immediate crisis)
Surgeon General’s Call to Action to improve awareness on suicide and to remove the stigma
www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calltoaction/default.htm
Tri-State Suicide Prevention Coalition   (KY IN OH Efforts)
US Department of Health Mental Health.org