This last week on an Instagram poll I asked if anyone would be interested in reading a paper centered around adolescent suicide.
Almost 1 in 4 middle schoolers and 1 in 6 high schoolers will deal with suicide.
That’s a staggering number!
As I read the research and wrote about how we can help adolescents. Our youth are dealing with suicide first hand. They are talking with friends who are dealing with suicide.
Are we talking with our kids about suicide?
Talking about suicide helps. It prevent. It allows people to be heard. Talking to someone about suicide does not make them more likely to act out an ideation.Here are a few words I’ve written on the topic of Key Warning Signs, Behaviors, and Intervention Strategies of Adolescent Suicide.
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Key Warning Signs, Behaviors, and Intervention Strategies of Adolescent Suicide
Suicide is the second leading cause of death in adolescents, trailing accidents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (Cole-Lewis, Gipson, Opperman, Arango, & King, 2016; Holland, Vivolo-kantor, Logan, & Leemis, 2017).). Up to one-third of youth above 12 years-of-age who experience suicidal ideations make a suicide attempt (Cole-Lewis et al., 2016). Suicidal ideations are beginning in early adolescence, 19% of middle schoolers and 16% of high schoolers report suicidal ideations (Musci, Hart, Ballard, Newcomer, Van Eck, Ialongo, & Wilcox, 2016). Suicidal ideation peaks in the seventh grade (Musci et al., 2016). There needs to be a focused, empathetic, and systematic commitment to intervention from family, school, social community, religious institutions, and counseling professionals. Private religious practices among adolescents are associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideations (Cole-Lewis et al., 2016, p. 1183). Open dialogue on the topic of suicide between parents, schools, religious institutions, and children is necessary to combat the risk suicide.
Warning Signs and Behaviors
Intimacy is necessary to understand and identify the individual warning signs of a suicidal youth (Holland, 2017, p. 1605). Common suicide risk factors in adolescence are low social connectedness, familial conflict, peer conflict/victimization, social isolation, parental support, poor mental health, depression, aggression, substance use and abuse, sexual orientation, loss of key individuals (family member, friend), low self-esteem, and bullying (Cole-Lewis et al., 2016; Lecloux, Maramaldi, Thomas, & Wharff, 2016; McWhirter et al., 2017). Depression has a high comorbidity in adolescents who have suicidal ideations (Lecoux et al., 2016). “Relational problems, particularly with parents, were the most common suicide antecedent (Holland et al., 2017).” Furthermore, adolescent’s culture and ethnic background contribute unique risk factors to be considered for suicidal ideation and behavior (Musci et al., 2016).
Invention Strategies
It is important to focus intervention strategies around the key factor contributing to adolescent suicidal ideation: Family connectedness, institutional connectedness, and self-concept (McWhirter et al., 2017; Cole-Lewis et al., 2016). McWhirter et al., (2017) outlines a seven-step specific intervention strategy focused on suicide crisis:
1. Listen and show respect for the feelings of the suicidal youth.
2. Reinforce the young person for seeking help.
3. Be specific about assessing lethality.
4. Make decisions.
5. Have the youth sign a written contract.
6. Utilize resources available.
7. Provide counseling for the youth. (McWhirter et al., 2017, p. 253 – 254)
Parent-family connectedness in suicide prevention.
Research has shown high parental support to be a leading family intervention that lowers suicidal risk in adolescence (Lecloux et al., 2016). When children receive affection, support, and care from parents they report lower levels of depression and suicidal thought and behaviors (Cole-Lewis et al., 2016). The stronger the connectedness between child and parent the lower the risk of suicidal ideation (McWhirter et al., 2017). Connectedness is promoted through open dialogue, support and acceptance. Early intervention begins within the family through the development of open, safe lines of communication and processing of emotions (McWhirter, 2016).
School connectedness in suicide prevention.
Second to the family, schools have a primary role in the development of youth. When student display high connectedness (attachment, commitment, and involvement) they have lower depressive symptoms and lower suicidal risk factors (Cole-Lewis, 2016).
Religious integration in suicide prevention.
Research has shown that adolescents who possess a religious or spiritual belief system have healthier attitudes, behaviors and mental states (Cole-Lewis et al. 2016). Church attendance has been positively associated with the psychological health of adolescents (Cole-Lewis et al. 2016). Positive attitudes, higher self-worth and value of life associated with religious beliefs are connected to lower suicidal ideations in adolescence (Cole-Lewis et al. 2016). Research also suggests that listening to Christian worship music and regularly attending corporate worship services has a positive neurological effect and may protect against suicidal ideations (Cole-Lewis et al. 2016). Pew Research Center (2018) reported between 2007 and 2014 a 3% drop (to 27%) in adults who attend religious services once a week and a 3% (to 30%) increase in adults who seldom or never attend religious services. Adults who attend once or twice a month or a few times per year have remained consistent at 33%.
Conclusion
One of the healthiest early interventions for suicidal ideation and behavior is creating open dialogue between parents and children. By creating a safe and understanding environment for children to express what they are feeling parents are able to increase support and promote healthy coping skills (McWhirter et al., 2017, p. 238). The increase of suicidal ideations in youth could be directly correlated to the drop in regular church attendance over the past two decades, religious involvement has been shown to have a mitigating effect on depression and suicidal ideations. (Pew Research, 2018; Cole-Lewis, 2016). As church attendance drops, personal religious practices lessen the probability of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideations increases. Hebrews 10:25 says, “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near (NLT).”
Youth who participated in private religious practices showed higher levels of parent-connectedness, school connectedness, and improved interpersonal relations (Cole-Lewis et al., 2016). Religious support is unique and different from social support, adolescents having a strong social support system can still benefit from the inclusion of a religious support system, and vice versa (Cole-Lewis et al., 2016). As youth’s personal religious practices solidify parental connectedness has shown to strengthen (Cole-Lewis, 2016).
References
Cole-Lewis, Y. C., Gipson, P. Y, Opperman, K. J., Arango, A. & King, C. A. (2016). Protective role of religious involvement against depression and suicidal ideation among youth with interpersonal problems. Journal of Religious Health, 55, pps. 1172–1188. Doi: https://doi-org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1007/s10943-016-0194-y
Holland, K. M., Vivolo-kantor, A., Logan, J. E., & Leemis, R. W. (2017). Antecedents of suicide among youth aged 11-15: A multistate mixed methods analysis. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 46(7), 1598-1610. doi: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1007/s10964-016-0610-3
Lecloux, M., Maramaldi, P., Thomas, K., & Wharff, E. (2016). Family support and mental health service use among suicidal adolescents. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25(8), 2597-2606. doi: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1007/s10826-016-0417-6
McWhirter, J. J., McWhirter, B. T., McWhirter, E. H., & McWhirter, A. C. (2017), At Risk Youth, A Comprehensive Response for Couselors, Teachers, Psychologists, and Human Service Professionals. (6th ed.), Boston: Cengage Learning.
Musci, R. J., Hart, S. R., Ballard, E. D., Newcomer, A., Van Eck, K., Ialongo, N., & Wilcox, H. (2016). Trajectories of Suicidal Ideation from Sixth through Tenth Grades in Predicting Suicide Attempts in Young Adulthood in an Urban African American Cohort. Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior, 46(3), 255-265. doi:10.1111/sltb.12191
Pew Research (2018). Attendance at religious services. Pew Research Center: Religion & Public Life. Retrieved from: http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/attendance-at-religious-services/