Suicide Questions
What is Suicide?
Suicide is defined as
intentional, self-inflicted death.
For
more information on suicide contact:
Sinnissippi Centers Inc.
Alan Singer, Area Office Supervisor
125 South 4th Street.
Oregon, IL 61061
Phone: (815) 732-3157
Fax: (815) 732-3834
Email: alansinger@sinnissippi.com
Website:
www.sinnissippi.com
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Why do people kill themselves?
Experts in the field suggest that
a suicidal person is feeling so much pain that they can see no other option.
They feel that they are a burden to others, and in desperation see death as a
way to escape their overwhelming pain and anguish. The suicidal state of mind
has been described as constricted, filled with a sense of self-hatred,
rejection, and hopelessness.
For more information on
suicide contact:
Sinnissippi Centers Inc.
Alan Singer, Area Office Supervisor
125 South 4th Street.
Oregon, IL 61061
Phone: (815) 732-3157
Fax: (815) 732-3834
Email: alansinger@sinnissippi.com
Website:
www.sinnissippi.com
Back to Questions
What should you do if
you are in a crisis and need help right away?
Call this toll-free number,
available 24 hours a day, every day: 1-800-273-TALK (8255). You will
reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a service available to anyone.
You may call for yourself or for someon you care about. All calls are
confidential.
For more information on suicide
contact:
Sinnissippi Centers Inc.
Alan Singer, Area Office Supervisor
125 South 4th Street.
Oregon, IL 61061
Phone: (815) 732-3157
Fax: (815) 732-3834
Email: alansinger@sinnissippi.com
Website:
www.sinnissippi.com
Back to Questions
Research shows
that risk factors for suicide include:
·
Depression and other mental disorders, or a substance-abuse disorder (often in
combination with other mental disorders). More than 90 percent of people who die
by suicide have these risk factors.
·
Stressful life events, in combination with other risk factors, such as
depression. However, suicide and suicidal behavior are not normal responses to
stress; many people have these risk factors, but are not suicidal.
·
prior
suicide attempt family history of mental disorder or substance abuse
·
family
history of suicide
·
family
violence, including physical or sexual abuse
·
firearms in the home,3
the method used in more than half of suicides
·
incarceration
·
exposure to the suicidal behavior of others, such as family members, peers, or
media figures.2
Research also
shows that the risk for suicide is associated with changes in brain chemicals
called neurotransmitters, including serotonin. Decreased levels of serotonin
have been found in people with depression, impulsive disorders, and a history of
suicide attempts, and in the brains of suicide victims.
4
For more information on suicide
contact:
Sinnissippi Centers Inc.
Alan Singer, Area Office Supervisor
125 South 4th Street.
Oregon, IL 61061
Phone: (815) 732-3157
Fax: (815) 732-3834
Email: alansinger@sinnissippi.com
Website:
www.sinnissippi.com
Back to Questions
- Suicide was the eighth leading cause of death for males and the
sixteenth leading cause of death for females in 2004. 1
- Almost four times as many males as females die by suicide. 1
For more information on suicide
contact:
Sinnissippi Centers Inc.
Alan Singer, Area Office Supervisor
125 South 4th Street.
Oregon, IL 61061
Phone: (815) 732-3157
Fax: (815) 732-3834
Email: alansinger@sinnissippi.com
Website:
www.sinnissippi.com
Back to Questions
In 2004, suicide
was the third leading cause of death in each of the following age groups.1
Of every 100,000 young people in each age group, the following number died by
suicide:1
·
Children ages 10 to 14 — 1.3 per 100,000
·
Adolescents ages 15 to 19 — 8.2 per 100,000
·
Young
adults ages 20 to 24 — 12.5 per 100,000
As in the general
population, young people were much more likely to use firearms, suffocation, and
poisoning than other methods of suicide, overall. However, while adolescents and
young adults were more likely to use firearms than suffocation, children were
dramatically more likely to use suffocation.1
There were also
gender differences in suicide among young people, as follows:
·
Almost
four times as many males as females ages 15 to 19 died by suicide.1
·
More
than six times as many males as females ages 20 to 24 died by suicide.1
For more information on suicide
contact:
Sinnissippi Centers Inc.
Alan Singer, Area Office Supervisor
125 South 4th Street.
Oregon, IL 61061
Phone: (815) 732-3157
Fax: (815) 732-3834
Email: alansinger@sinnissippi.com
Website:
www.sinnissippi.com
Back to Questions
Research helps
determine which factors can be modified to help prevent suicide and which
interventions are appropriate for specific groups of people. Before being put
into practice, prevention programs should be tested through research to
determine their safety and effectiveness.8
For example, because research has shown that mental and substance-abuse
disorders are major risk factors for suicide, many programs also focus on
treating these disorders.
Studies showed
that a type of psychotherapy called cognitive therapy reduced the rate of
repeated suicide attempts by 50 percent during a year of follow-up. A previous
suicide attempt is among the strongest predictors of subsequent suicide, and
cognitive therapy helps suicide attempters consider alternative actions when
thoughts of self-harm arise.9
Specific kinds of
psychotherapy may be helpful for specific groups of people. For example, a
recent study showed that a treatment called dialectical behavior therapy reduced
suicide attempts by half, compared with other kinds of therapy, in people with
borderline personality disorder (a serious disorder of emotion regulation).10
The medication
clozapine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for suicide prevention
in people with schizophrenia.11
Other promising medications and psychosocial treatments for suicidal people are
being tested.
Since research
shows that older adults and women who die by suicide are likely to have seen a
primary care provider in the year before death, improving primary-care
providers' ability to recognize and treat risk factors may help prevent suicide
among these groups.12
Improving outreach to men at risk is a major challenge in need of investigation.
For more information on suicide
contact:
Sinnissippi Centers Inc.
Alan Singer, Area Office Supervisor
125 South 4th Street.
Oregon, IL 61061
Phone: (815) 732-3157
Fax: (815) 732-3834
Email: alansinger@sinnissippi.com
Website:
www.sinnissippi.com
Back to Questions
Doesn't suicide happen mostly in troubled individuals who come from difficult
family situations?
No. It is important to
understand that suicidal behavior occurs in all socioeconomic groups. People of
all ages, races, faiths and cultures die by suicide, as do individuals from all
walks of life and all income levels. Popular, well-connected people who seem to
have everything going for them and those who are less well-off die by suicide.
Suicidal youth come from all kinds of families, rich and poor, happy and sad,
two-parent and single-parent. To suggest that suicidal youth come only from
"bad," "sick" or "neglectful" families is like saying that only these kids get
cancer.
For more information on suicide
contact:
Sinnissippi Centers Inc.
Alan Singer, Area Office Supervisor
125 South 4th Street.
Oregon, IL 61061
Phone: (815) 732-3157
Fax: (815) 732-3834
Email: alansinger@sinnissippi.com
Website:
www.sinnissippi.com
Back to Questions
Don't most
suicides happen without any warning signs?
There are almost always
warning signs, but unless we know what they are, they can be very difficult to
recognize. That is why suicide prevention education is so important.
For more information on suicide
contact:
Sinnissippi Centers Inc.
Alan Singer, Area Office Supervisor
125 South 4th Street.
Oregon, IL 61061
Phone: (815) 732-3157
Fax: (815) 732-3834
Email: alansinger@sinnissippi.com
Website:
www.sinnissippi.com
Back to Questions
Are people who talk about or attempt suicide just trying to get attention?
People who talk about or
attempt suicide need immediate attention. They are trying to call attention to
what they are experiencing as extreme emotional pain. Many believe that we
should ignore these "cries for help" and "attention-getting behaviors" because
the attention will only encourage the behaviors. Suicidal individuals are trying
to get attention the same way people shout if they are drowning or are injured.
For more information on suicide
contact:
Sinnissippi Centers Inc.
Alan Singer, Area Office Supervisor
125 South 4th Street.
Oregon, IL 61061
Phone: (815) 732-3157
Fax: (815) 732-3834
Email: alansinger@sinnissippi.com
Website:
www.sinnissippi.com
Back
to Questions
Is suicide preventable?
Yes, often suicides may be
prevented. Many people believe that if someone is suicidal, there is nothing
that anyone can do to stop them from killing themselves. Some also believe that
those who don't kill themselves on the first attempt will keep trying until they
die. The truth is that most young people face a suicidal crisis only once in a
lifetime. A suicidal crisis is usually very brief, lasting from a few hours to a
few days. With intervention and help, future attempts may be prevented.
For more information on suicide
contact:
Sinnissippi Centers Inc.
Alan Singer, Area Office Supervisor
125 South 4th Street.
Oregon, IL 61061
Phone: (815) 732-3157
Fax: (815) 732-3834
Email: alansinger@sinnissippi.com
Website:
www.sinnissippi.com
Back to Questions
Why is there so much concern about youth suicide? It is a rare event, after all.
Suicide is the second
leading cause of death to youth in Maine between the ages of 15-24 and the third
leading cause of death for our 10- to 14-year-olds. The younger the age of the
person who dies by suicide, the greater the number of years of potential life
lost. Suicidal behavior among young people is a much larger public health
concern than what is represented in death statistics. Roughly one in five high
school students reports seriously considering suicide in the past 12 months.
For more information on suicide
contact:
Sinnissippi Centers Inc.
Alan Singer, Area Office Supervisor
125 South 4th Street.
Oregon, IL 61061
Phone: (815) 732-3157
Fax: (815) 732-3834
Email: alansinger@sinnissippi.com
Website:
www.sinnissippi.com
Back to Questions
Isn't it up to mental health experts to figure out how to manage youth who want
to kill themselves?
Mental health workers are
a key resource in responding to suicidal youth. They are trained to provide
therapy and/or manage crises. It is important, however, to realize that anyone
can learn how to intervene in suicidal behavior in basic, life-saving kinds of
ways.
For more information on suicide
contact:
Sinnissippi Centers Inc.
Alan Singer, Area Office Supervisor
125 South 4th Street.
Oregon, IL 61061
Phone: (815) 732-3157
Fax: (815) 732-3834
Email: alansinger@sinnissippi.com
Website:
www.sinnissippi.com
Back to Questions
What is
the connection between self-harm and suicide attempts?
Self-harm is defined as a
deliberate and usually repetitive destruction or alteration of one's own body
tissue, without suicidal intent. Other terms used to describe this behavior
include cutting, self-injury, self-mutilation, self-inflicted violence and
auto-aggression. While difficult to distinguish from a suicide attempt, it is
important to understand that the person who engages in self-harming behavior
does not intend to die as a result of his/her actions. The behavior is used to
gain relief from intense emotions, to calm and soothe.
For more information on suicide
contact:
Sinnissippi Centers Inc.
Alan Singer, Area Office Supervisor
125 South 4th Street.
Oregon, IL 61061
Phone: (815) 732-3157
Fax: (815) 732-3834
Email: alansinger@sinnissippi.com
Website:
www.sinnissippi.com
Back to Questions
What should you do if someone tells you they are thinking about suicide?
If someone tells you they are
thinking about suicide, you should take their distress seriously, listen
nonjudgmentally, and help them get to a professional for
depression evaluation and treatment. People consider suicide when they are
hopeless and unable to see alternative solutions to problems. Suicidal behavior
is most often related to a mental disorder (depression)
or to alcohol or other substance abuse. Suicidal behavior is also more likely to
occur when people experience stressful events (major losses, incarceration). If
someone is in imminent danger of harming himself or herself, do not leave the
person alone. You may need to take emergency steps to get help, such as calling
911. When someone is in a suicidal crisis, it is important to limit access to
firearms or other lethal means of committing suicide.
Suicides among young people continue to be a
serious problem. Each year in the U.S., thousands of teenagers commit suicide.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15-to-24-year-olds, and the
sixth leading cause of death for 5-to-14-year-olds.
Teenagers
experience strong feelings of stress, confusion, self-doubt, pressure to
succeed, financial uncertainty, and other fears while growing up. For some
teenagers, divorce, the formation of a new family with step-parents and
step-siblings, or moving to a new community can be very unsettling and can
intensify self-doubts. For some teens, suicide may appear to be a solution to
their problems and stress.
Depression
and suicidal feelings are treatable mental disorders. The child or adolescent
needs to have his or her illness recognized and diagnosed, and appropriate
treatment plans developed. When parents are in doubt whether their child has a
serious problem, a psychiatric examination can be very helpful.
Many of
the signs and symptoms of suicidal feelings are similar to those of depression.
Parents
should be aware of the following signs of adolescents who may try to kill
themselves:
-
change in eating and sleeping habits
-
withdrawal from friends, family, and
regular activities
-
violent actions, rebellious behavior, or
running away
-
drug and alcohol use
-
unusual neglect of personal appearance
-
marked personality change
-
persistent boredom, difficulty
concentrating, or a decline in the quality of schoolwork
-
frequent complaints about physical
symptoms, often related to emotions, such as stomachaches, headaches,
fatigue, etc.
-
loss of interest in pleasurable activities
-
not tolerating praise or rewards
A teenager
who is planning to commit suicide may also:
-
complain of being a bad person or feeling
rotten inside
-
give verbal hints with statements such as:
I won't be a problem for you much longer, Nothing matters, It's no use, and
I won't see you again
-
put his or her affairs in order, for
example, give away favorite possessions, clean his or her room, throw away
important belongings, etc.
-
become suddenly cheerful after a period of
depression
-
have signs of psychosis (hallucinations or
bizarre thoughts)
If a child
or adolescent says, I want to kill myself, or I'm going to commit suicide,
always take the statement seriously and immediately seek assistance from a
qualified mental health professional. People often feel uncomfortable talking
about death. However, asking the child or adolescent whether he or she is
depressed or thinking about suicide can be helpful. Rather than putting thoughts
in the child's head, such a question will provide assurance that somebody cares
and will give the young person the chance to talk about problems.
If one or
more of these signs occurs, parents need to talk to their child about their
concerns and seek professional help from a physician or a qualified mental
health professional. With support from family and appropriate treatment,
children and teenagers who are suicidal can heal and return to a more healthy
path of development
Risk factors for suicide include:
- Previous suicide
attempts - Teens that have
attempted suicide in the past are much more likely than other teens to
attempt suicide again in the future. Approximately a third of teen suicide
victims have made a previous suicide attempt.[1]
- Depression and/or
alcohol or substance abuse -
Over 90% of teen suicide victims have a mental disorder, such as depression,
and/or a history of alcohol or drug abuse.[2]
- Family history of
mental disorders, substance abuse, or suicide
- Teens who kill themselves have often had a close family member who
attempted or committed suicide. Many of the mental illnesses, such as
depression, that contribute to suicide risk appear to have a genetic
component.[3]
- Stressful
situation or loss - Teens who
kill themselves almost always have serious problems, such as depression or
substance abuse. When they experience losses or certain stressful
situations, it can trigger a suicide attempt. Such stressful situations
include: getting into trouble at school or with the police; fighting or
breaking up with a boyfriend or a girlfriend; and fighting with friends.[4,5]
- Exposure to other
teenagers who have died by suicide
- Teens are more likely to kill themselves if they have recently read, seen,
or heard about other suicide attempts.[8,9,10,11]
Other risk factors include a history of
physical and/or sexual abuse, poor communication with parents, incarceration,
and lack of access or an unwillingness to seek mental health treatment
How
Suicide was the third leading cause of death
for young people 10 to 19 years old in 2000. More teenagers die from suicide
than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia and
influenza, and chronic lung disease combined. In 2000, 1921 young people ages 10
to 19 died by suicide in the United States.
Suicide is relatively rare among youth under
fifteen (300 suicide deaths for ten to fourteen year-olds in 2000), but the rate
has increased by 70% since 1981.[4]
After increasing dramatically in the 1980's, suicide rates among older youth
have begun to decline in recent years. In 2000, the suicide rate among 15 to 19
year olds was actually slightly lower than in 1981.
Survey data from 2001 indicate that 19% of
high school students had seriously considered attempting suicide, almost 15% had
made plans to attempt suicide, and almost 9% had made a suicide attempt during
the year preceding the survey.[5]
For more information on suicide
contact:
Sinnissippi Centers Inc.
Alan Singer, Area Office Supervisor
125 South 4th Street.
Oregon, IL 61061
Phone: (815) 732-3157
Fax: (815) 732-3834
Email: alansinger@sinnissippi.com
Website:
www.sinnissippi.com
Back
to Questions
Which Teens are Most Affected?
Suicide is far more common among some groups
of teens than others. Male teens are almost five times more likely than females
to die by suicide, even though females are more likely to attempt suicide. While
white males account for the majority of youth suicide deaths (60 percent), the
suicide rate among Native American male youths is exceedingly high in comparison
with the overall rate for males ten to nineteen (16.0 per 100,000 vs. 7.8 per
100,000). Although still relatively low (5.7 per 100,000 in 2000), the suicide
rate has been increasing most rapidly among African American males ten to
nineteen-doubling over the last twenty years.[6]
Several state and national studies have
found that gay, lesbian, and bisexual teens are more likely to seriously
consider and attempt suicide than heterosexual teens.[7,8,9]There
are, unfortunately, not sufficient data to determine whether rates of death by
suicide are similarly elevated. Why are gay, lesbian, and bisexual teens more
likely to attempt suicide? The reasons for this are not entirely clear. Research
suggests that discrimination due to the social stigmatization of homosexuality
in our culture may have important mental health consequences.[10]
Gay, lesbian, and bisexual teens are more likely than their peers to report past
victimization and problems with substance abuse and depression, all of which are
risk factors for suicide in adolescents.[
For more information on suicide
contact:
Sinnissippi Centers Inc.
Alan Singer, Area Office Supervisor
125 South 4th Street.
Oregon, IL 61061
Phone: (815) 732-3157
Fax: (815) 732-3834
Email: alansinger@sinnissippi.com
Website:
www.sinnissippi.com
Back to Questions
What are the youth suicide
warning signs?
Sometimes teens will exhibit warning signs,
indicating that they need help. The presence of one or more of these warning
signs does not necessarily mean that a teen is suicidal; the only way to know
whether your child is thinking about suicide is to ask. Suicide attempts among
young people tend to be based on long-standing problems, such as depression,
alcohol or drug abuse, and a history of aggressive or disruptive behaviors, but
may be triggered by a specific event.
Warning signs of suicidal behavior in youth
include:
- depressed mood;
- substance abuse;
- frequent episodes of
running away or being incarcerated;
- family loss or
instability, significant problems with parent;
- expressions of
suicidal thoughts, or talk of death or the afterlife during moments of
sadness or boredom;
- withdrawal from
friends and family;
- difficulties in
dealing with sexual orientation;
- no longer interested
in or enjoying activities that once were pleasurable;
- unplanned pregnancy;
and
- impulsive, aggressive
behavior, frequent expressions of rage.[1]
This list is not definitive; some teens may
show no signs and yet still feel suicidal. Others may exhibit many signs yet
appear to be coping with their situation. The only way to know for sure is to
ask.
Youth Suicide Risk Factors
Risk factors for suicide include:
- Previous suicide
attempts - Teens that have
attempted suicide in the past are much more likely than other teens to
attempt suicide again in the future. Approximately a third of teen suicide
victims have made a previous suicide attempt.[1]
- Depression and/or
alcohol or substance abuse -
Over 90% of teen suicide victims have a mental disorder, such as depression,
and/or a history of alcohol or drug abuse.[2]
- Family history of
mental disorders, substance abuse, or suicide
- Teens who kill themselves have often had a close family member who
attempted or committed suicide. Many of the mental illnesses, such as
depression, that contribute to suicide risk appear to have a genetic
component.[3]
- Stressful
situation or loss - Teens who
kill themselves almost always have serious problems, such as depression or
substance abuse. When they experience losses or certain stressful
situations, it can trigger a suicide attempt. Such stressful situations
include: getting into trouble at school or with the police; fighting or
breaking up with a boyfriend or a girlfriend; and fighting with friends.[4,5]
- Exposure to other
teenagers who have died by suicide
- Teens are more likely to kill themselves if they have recently read, seen,
or heard about other suicide attempts.[8,9,10,11]
For more information on suicide
contact:
Sinnissippi Centers Inc.
Alan Singer, Area Office Supervisor
125 South 4th Street.
Oregon, IL 61061
Phone: (815) 732-3157
Fax: (815) 732-3834
Email: alansinger@sinnissippi.com
Website:
www.sinnissippi.com
Back
to Questions
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