YOUTH AND SUICIDAL THOUGHTS

Suicides among teens ages 15-19 are the highest they’ve been since 2000, says a new study by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Here’s a snippet from an NBC analysis of the study:

The new study found that in 2017, 6,241 teenagers and adults in their early 20s died by suicide. Young men accounted for the vast majority — 5,016 — of those deaths.

In 2017, death by suicide among teen girls jumped 8 percent in a single year. I honestly believe a contributor may have been the wildly popular Netflix show “13 Reasons Why,” released in 2017 and based on a book of the same name, that glamorizes teen suicide as the ultimate form of social revenge.

I am very concerned about the trend of teen suicide in our country. It can be difficult to detect suicidal thoughts or tendencies before they strike, so the best you can do is watch your teens carefully and listen to them.

Here’s a short list of possible signs of suicidal thoughts or plans from the Suicide Prevention Lifeline:

• Talking about wanting to die or to kill themselves
• Talking about feeling hopeless or having no reason to live
• Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
• Talking about being a burden to others
• Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs
• Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly
• Sleeping too little or too much
• Withdrawing or isolating themselves
• Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge
• Extreme mood swings

If several of these symptoms sound relevant to your teen, it may be time to ask them frankly if they ever think about hurting themselves. And if they do, I can be here to help. You can call or email to schedule with me, and we can make a plan for your child’s safety and mental well-being for the future.

Author

Satu H. Woodland, PMHCNS-BC, APRN Satu Woodland is owner and clinician of Hope Mental Health, an integrative mental health practice located at Bown Crossing in Boise, Idaho. She sees children, adolescents, and adults.  Ms. Woodland with her background in nursing, prefers a holistic and integrative approach to mental health care that addresses the mind and body together. While Ms. Woodland provides medication management services in all her patients, she believes in long-lasting solutions that include a number of psychotherapies, namely cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure and response prevention therapy, attention to lifestyle, evidenced based alternative psychiatric care and spirituality. If you’d like to gain control over your mental health issues, call Hope Mental Health at 208-918-0958, or use the online scheduling tool to set up an initial consultation.