The Enigma Of Suicide In Young People: What A Counselor Needs To Know
The Enigma Of Suicide In Young People: What A Counselor Needs To Know
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Course Study Description
40. The Enigma Of Suicide In Young People: What A Counselor Needs To Know. [Click On Title To Go To Course Page][10 contact hours] - [$50.00 - NO OTHER COURSE FEES APPLY]
Course Directions
Click on the Course Directions page to read course procedures.
Course Outcomes
Text [Required Reading To Be Prepared For The Exam]
Night Falls Fast: Understanding Suicide by Kay Redfield Jamison. ISBN: 0375401458 $20.80. in The Bookstore .
Study Guide Questions
Vocabulary
Supplementary Readings [Required Reading To Be Prepared For The Exam]
http://ericcass.uncg.edu/digest/2001-10.html Self-Mutilation
Teen Suicide
Author of Undoing Depression:
What Therapy Doesn't Teach You and Medication Can't Give You
A continued rise in teen suicide rates is concerning mental health professionals, educators, and youth workers.
In the past 25 years, while the general incidence of suicide has decreased, the rate for those between 15 and 24 has tripled. It is generally considered to be the second or third most common cause of death among adolescents, even though it is seriously underreported.
Suicidal Teens: Statistics and Related Information
No
one has advanced a good theory explaining why teens are taking their own lives
in greater numbers, but it's important for everyone to be aware of the problem.
A recent article by Jane Brody in The New York Times summarized research
describing the major risk factors of suicide among young people:
Depression is often not recognized. In younger children and in adolescent boys, it may seem that the child is simply angry or sullen.
If this lasts more than a week or so with no relief, and if there are other signs of depression--changes in appetite, activity level, sleep pattern; loss of interest in activities that normally give pleasure; social withdrawal; thoughts of death or punishment--it should be taken seriously.
Depression and Suicide in Children and Adolescents
From A Report of the Surgeon General
Sometimes teens try alcohol or other drugs to relieve depression. Unfortunately the drugs themselves have a depressant effect, and lower inhibitions against self-injurious behavior. Some young people who have never expressed a suicidal thought have taken their own lives when they got drunk to ease the pain of a disappointment or loss. But they only felt worse while drunk, and committed a rash, impulsive act which they wouldn't have done sober.
Substance Abuse May Escalate Suicidal Ideas to Attempts in Teens
Getting in trouble in school or with the law, fighting with parents--are the third risk factor for suicide. We tend to think of potential suicides as sensitive, shy people who are overwhelmed by life. We don't see the cocky, obnoxious adolescent as potentially self-destructive, even though his behavior--continually getting in trouble, keeping the world at arm's length--has exactly that effect.
I recently re-read The Catcher in the Rye and was amazed to see Holden Caulfield, whom I had so identified myself with, from my now-adult perspective. Though I still felt sympathetic, I was struck by how depressed and self-destructive his behavior seemed.
This makes the consequences of an impulsive act much more lethal. Surprisingly, even when a child has made one attempt, parents often fail to remove guns from the home.
Guns Used More for Suicide Than Homicide
If you have a gun in your home, you are 5 times more likely to have a suicide in your house than homes without a gun. (Suicidal.Com)
An unlocked gun could be the death of your family.
Please--UNLOAD and UNLOCK your gun.
Previous attempts
Half of all children who have made one suicide attempt will make another, sometimes as many as two a year until they succeed. The majority of suicide attempts are expressions of extreme distress and not just harmless bids for attention.
Substance Abuse May Escalate Suicidal Ideas to Attempts in Teens
Other Factors
Other factors include a family history of depression or substance abuse, and a recent traumatic event.
Some
children who take their own lives are indeed the opposite of the rebellious
teen. They are anxious, insecure kids who have a desperate desire to be
liked, to fit in, to do well. Their expectations are so high that they
demand too much of themselves, so are condemned to constant disappointment.
A traumatic event, which can seem minor viewed from an adult perspective, is
enough to push them over the edge into a severe depression. Being jilted,
failing a test, getting into an accident--they have the sense that their life is
a delicate balance, and one failure or disappointment seems to threaten the
whole house of cards.
Depression can
usually be treated effectively and efficiently once it's recognized.
Treatment Significantly Reduces Teen Suicide Risk
Parents are bound to have trouble understanding a depressed teen's confusing signals; after all, who does not want to think of their child as happy and confident. But parents must pay attention to serious depression; the risks are too great if they don't.
Family Skills: Recognizing Your Teen's Cry for Help
Visit the FOCUS Directory for help in your state
No talk of suicide should be taken lightly. It indicates the need for professional help. Any suicidal gesture, no matter how "harmless" it seems, demands immediate professional attention.
If someone is suicidal,
he or she must not be left alone.
You may need to take emergency steps to get help, such as calling 911.
It is also important to limit the person's access
to firearms, large amounts of medication, or
other lethal means of committing suicide.
Examination
Request your examination when you feel prepared. All examinations consist of both True-False and Multiple-Choice items with five answers. You must score 80% on the exam to gain the contact hours. When you receive your exam, read each question carefully, choose the BEST answer and circle the letter of the answer you choose. Return the exam in the self-addressed envelope provided. It will be scored within 48 hours of the receipt of your course fees. Results will be e-mailed to you as soon as they are available. A letter of congratulations, a certificate from CounselingCEUsOnline, and an official transcript will be mailed to you. Examinations will not be returned to the student. Records of your scores will be maintained by CounselingCEUsOnline and will be available for you for a $5.00 transcript fee. Request your examination by mail from:
Mail: Exams, CounselingCEUsOnline, P.O. Box 328, State Line,PA 17263-0328 OR
FAX: 1(717)597-2302 OR
E-Mail: exams@www.counselingceusonline.com
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