June 2011

“Astor’s mission is to make people realize that emotional struggles are not to be judged; families and kids are to be helped and supported — just walk in.”

Astor Services For Children & Families’ Suzanne Button, Ph.D., provides crucial information on the subject of Youth and Teen Suicide Prevention that all adults (not just parents!) should know. In this interview on the Radio Program “Finding Out with Pete and Ellen,” Dr. Button stresses the notion that everyone in a child’s life can make an important difference in the life of a young person struggling with emotional problems.

This 25 minute interview contains important information for anyone who thinks they may know a child at risk.

Press ‘PLAY’ on the controls below to listen:

Youth and Teen Suicide Prevention:
Practical Information from
Astor’s Suzanne Button

Dr. Button provides this information and more:

Suicidal thinking among young people is more common than we think. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) says that 14% of youth between 9th and 12th grade have thoughts about suicide; 11% have made a specific plan for suicide.
Teens are subject to impulsive behavior. Statements like “My parents will miss me when I’m gone” are statements that family and caregivers should take very seriously.

Risk factors for youth and teen suicide:

Several groups of children are at increased risk for suicide. Kids with: a diagnosed behavioral disturbance; depression; anxiety; oppositional and/or aggressive behaviors; substance abuse problems. Kids who are being bullied; kids experiencing extremely serious peer conflict; kids reacting to being humiliated; youth who’s families are in a difficult situation or conflict like divorce or job loss.
Suicide is currently the fourth leading cause of death for adolescents and the third leading cause of death for youth a little younger than adolescent.
5,000 teenagers a year commit suicide in our country.
A youth suicide impacts roughly 9 other people on average.
Suicidal behavior can be ‘contagious’.
There is still a stigma attached to suicide and to mental health needs in general.
At Astor we are treating many children and families struggling to cope not only with mental health issues but also the stigma attached to it. One of the most important steps we can take to provide high-quality mental health services is to start to talk about these issues more with our kids, teachers, parents, and in our communities.

Suicide indicators and what to do:

Many people are afraid to ask their child: “Are you thinking about suicide or thinking about hurting yourself?” Many people are afraid that if they mention it, that will put the thought inside a child’s head; that’s not true.
It’s important for parents to be educated on “what to do”.
Watch for warning signs like: changes in behavior, irritability, depression, withdrawal from family life, giving away possessions, poetry or song writing preoccupied with death, statements like: “I think I shouldn’t be around anymore”, “nobody will miss me when I’m gone”. If you see these warning signs, you should intervene. Ask: Are you feeling depressed; are you feeling suicidal?
If the answer is yes, the most important tool in preventing suicide is “means prevention”: keeping a child from being able to access the tools of suicide.
Remove the child’s access to guns, weapons, medications including Tylenol, and prescription medications. If the child is extremely depressed, take away things like ropes.

Astor’s role in preventing teen suicide:

Very quick access to assessment and treatment is crucial. Astor has open access intakes at all Dutchess county clinics on weekdays from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. If you are worried about your child, you can walk into one of our clinics and ask to be seen by a mental health professional.
You don’t even need to make a phone call — just walk in.
If your child refuses to go, the best thing to do is to call 911.
Astor’s mission is to make people realize that emotional struggles are not to be judged; families and kids are to be helped and supported — just walk in.
Suicidal behavior needs to be promptly assessed. Even if you call 911, they will be assessed and referred to places like Astor.
We know that in cases where kids thought about suicide but did not attempt it, some important person asked and intervened.
Prevention is all about relationship, relationship, relationship. Successes in suicide prevention involve caring teachers; attentive, present parents; caring mental health professionals; and peers who don’t keep the suicidal thinking secret but who go and seek help from an expert adult.
Children who have committed suicide often felt isolated. We often hear parents who say ‘I didn’t ask if anything was wrong’ or ‘I didn’t know anything was wrong’. Sometimes in those cases we nonetheless find that significant risk factors were present: easy access to guns; over-the-counter medications; an absence of intervention from caring adults and peers around the child.
Astor is here to support families, walk down the road with families, help them find resources, and help them find hope and healing.
We’re not here to make you feel judged or put-off, so we strongly encourage you to contact the agency if you are worried about your child.

Suicide prevention in younger children:

The onset of the ability to ‘think about one’s thinking’ happens around the ages of 9 – 11. This is when the ability to think about how unhappy one is and to act on one’s unhappiness can be at a higher prevalence.
Younger children, ages 7 – 10, who are really struggling with some emotional unhappiness, can hurt themselves in more impulsive ways. Younger children who are exhibiting self-injuring behaviors, extreme anger, oppositional and impulsive behaviors or certain young children who will voice ideas of suicide, should certainly be screened by a pediatrician or a mental health professional right away.

Suicide prevention in the community:

Children who are self-injuring themselves or cutting themselves have a distinct set of health problems but they too should be promptly seen by a mental health professional. They need to learn better coping skills for their emotions.
Self-injuring is not a strong indicator of risk for suicide in itself. Children who have cut themselves in an attempt to commit suicide, or who are saying that they want to die or wish they weren’t around anymore, are more likely to try suicide.
Stress and pressure on children to look better, to do better in school, is a factor of our culture, so parents who seek help for children who experience these pressures should not see it as an embarrassing thing to do, but as being an effective, helpful parent.
The kinds of pressure that kids are under are relieved by relationships. Time and attention to and with your kids cannot be overestimated as a preventive measure.
School communities that are caring, and strong student-teacher relations are a tremendous predictor of successful kids, high achievers, and good mental health in a school. In a community, programs that let children connect to caring adults and stable peers are really important. Especially now in a time of heavy budget cuts and family pressures, those sorts of resources are more important than ever.
What should we make of a child who is depressed at home but who acts perfectly fine in a school environment? We may see a child who does very well at school, and who is letting off that stress at home. We may see kids who are buttoned up at home because the home environment is not open to their expression of difficulties, but who is really struggling at school. We may see kids who are struggling in both environments. So no matter who you are, if you see the behavior, take action. Ask your kid about it. Ask your student about it. Ask your friend about it. Reassure them that you care about them, love them, that no matter how bad they feel, they can work through their problems. Help connect them to resources that can help them work through their problems.
The notion of tribe and of reaching out and making a difference to kids cannot be over emphasized. You can make a difference in the life of a child.

Suicide Prevention Resources:

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1 800-273-TALK
Dutchess County Helpline: 1 845-485-9700
On line: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

“Finding Out With Peter And Ellen” is a a public service radio show hosted by Peter Leonard and Ellen Devorsetz. It airs on Sunday morning on WVKR-FM Poughkeepsie (91.3 FM).

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