Some Secrets Should Be Shared

We would rather not talk about it. We do not want to be the ones to have to deal with it. But suicide among youth is a reality, and it is more common than we might think.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the third-leading cause of death for 15 to 24-year-olds in the United States. Moreover, the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed that 28.5% of youths in grades 9-12 felt so sad or hopeless that they stopped doing usual activities; 14.5% seriously considered attempting suicide; and nearly 7% attempted suicide one or more times.

Fortunately, the emotional crises that so often precede suicide are both recognizable and treatable, and good prevention programs can teach youth how to recognize the symptoms of depression - in themselves or a friend - before it's too late.

The school-based SOS Signs of Suicide� Program teaches adolescents how to identify symptoms of depression and suicidality and to respond effectively by seeking help from a trusted adult. The program's goal is to train students to recognize the signs of depression and empower them to intervene when confronted with a friend who is exhibiting these symptoms. Simultaneously, the program lets students already feeling depressed or suicidal know where they should turn within the school system and provides comfortable reassurance that a request for help will not be ignored.

Each school participating in the program receives a kit with materials and training instruction. The program focuses on two of the most prominent risk factors for suicidal behavior: underlying mental illness, particularly depression, and use of alcohol. It combines two suicide prevention strategies into a single program: a curriculum that aims to educate and raise awareness of suicide and its related issues and a brief screening for depression and other risk factors.

A widely studied, evidence-based program, SOS is the only school-based suicide prevention program to show a reduction in self reported suicide attempts (by 40 percent in a randomized controlled study by Robert Aseltine, Ph.D. of the University of Connecticut Health Center). Moreover, the beneficial effects of SOS were observed in a second study among high school-aged youth from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Candice Porter, MSW, LICSW, will be in attendance at the 2009 NATSAP Conference in Austin, TX. She is interested in meeting with individuals from programs and schools that would like more information on Screening for Mental Health's evidence-based prevention programs. She will be available to discuss the SOS program as well as a new prevention program that aims to acknowledge and get assistance with self-injury. Please contact her at 781-239-0071(x122) or cporter@mentalhealthscreening.org.

To learn or to register, go to MentalHealthScreening.org (Screening for Mental Health, Inc.).

SOME SECRETS SHOULD BE SHARED