Category: Suicide Attempt

Bullying, Excessive Internet Use Put Teens at Increased Suicide Risk, Study Finds

6/29/2016

Being bullied or spending an excessive amount of time on the internet could increase the risk of teen suicides, according to a new study released by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Though the overall suicide rate among teens has decreased since 1990, it was still worryingly high in 2013 -- 1,748 per 100,000 teens between the ages of 15 and 19 -- meaning suicide is the second-leading cause of death for teens, according to the study.

In addition, boys were more likely to die by suicide but girls were nearly twice as likely to attempt suicide, the study found.

And while suicide affects all racial groups, American Indian/Alaska Native males had the highest suicide rate and black females have the lowest rate of suicide, according to the study.

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By Gillian Mohney, ABC News

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Why Are Ski Towns Seeing More Suicides?

5/19/2016

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On a sunny morning in late February, Tom Slocum, a 57-year-old ski bum in Telluride, Colorado, walked up Tomboy Road, a popular hiking route that winds above the north side of town. An avid athlete and skier, Slocum moved to Telluride in 1984, a couple of years after graduating college. Like many ski town residents, he’d worked several jobs over the years, in hotels, mostly. Over the last five or so years, he’d grown frustrated with his life—presumably by the fact the he was a middle-aged man living in a shack behind a multimillion dollar home, struggling to get by in one of the country’s most idyllic ski towns.

About a mile up Tomboy, Slocum pulled over and sat down next to a small creek. From his perch above Telluride, he looked out at the majestic San Juan Mountains, which towered above the 2,000-person town and its pastel Victorians. Across the valley, the Bear Creek basin etched up the east side of the resort and disappeared into a playground of snow-capped peaks. Then, just after dawn cast its first rays, Slocum pulled out a handgun and shot himself.

Slocum’s death was the first of three suicides that occurred in San Miguel County over two weeks in late February and early March. Then in May, a 46-year-old skier widely regarded as one of the best riders in the San Juans, took his life. The rash of self-inflicted deaths boosted the county’s rate of suicide by firearms over the past 12 months to more than six times higher than the national average. But Telluride isn’t alone. The number of suicides in Aspen, Colorado, is three times the country’s mean rate. Utah’s Salt Lake County, home to Alta and Snowbird, has almost twice as many suicides as the national average. And six suicides over two and a half years in Truckee, California, prompted the community to launch a suicide task force in 2014. Though tourists from around the world flock to these locales to ski their slopes and ride their single track, paradise harbors a darker reality: resort town residents are taking their lives at alarming rates.

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By Kelley Mcmillan, Beyond the Edge, National Geographic Adventure Blog

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How Do You Help Someone Who Is At Risk Of Suicide?

5/2/2016

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How do you help someone who is at risk of suicide?

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that suicide has been steadily increasing in the U.S. since 1999. Although men tend to kill themselves at higher rates than women, the biggest rate increase during that time has been among girls 10-14 years old, and the second biggest increase has been among women 45-64 years old.

But for every person who dies by suicide, there are many, many more who struggle with suicidal thoughts. "Lots of people think about it," says Dr. Jill Harkavy-Friedman of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. "Suicide attempts are less frequent. Fortunately, dying by suicide is even less frequent."

NPR talked with Harkavy-Friedman and Dr. Jitender Sareen of the University of Manitoba, both psychiatrists, about what is known about youth suicide and best practices for preventing suicide. Harkavy-Friedman studies teen suicide prevention, and Sareen studies suicide trends among Native people in the Arctic. The interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

Read the Full Article with Dr. Sareen as he answers questions on how to help someone you are concerned about.

By Rebecca Hersher, NPR

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How Data From a Crisis Text Line is Saving Lives

4/18/2016

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When a young woman texted DoSomething.org with a heartbreaking cry for help, the organization responded by opening a nationwide Crisis Text Line for people in pain. Nearly 10 million text messages later, the organization is using the privacy and power of text messaging to help people handle addiction, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders, sexual abuse and more. But there's an even bigger win: The anonymous data collected by text is teaching us when crises are most likely to happen — and helping schools and law enforcement to prepare for them.

By Nancy Lublin, Crisis Text Line
Visit Crisis Text Line

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What Drives Larimer County Youths to Suicide?

2/29/2016

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Gavin Holden's classmates at Webber Middle School told him to "just go kill yourself."

Again. And again. And again.

"When you hear that every day from multiple people, you start to believe it," he said.

Last year, 33 youths ages 17 and younger were admitted to Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins and Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland following suicide attempts, a 6.5 percent increase from 2014. Banner Health, which also has a facility in Fort Collins, did not have similar data available.

By Sarah Jane Kyle, Coloradoan - Read Full Article

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How to Talk to a Child about a Suicide Attempt in Your Family

9/3/2015

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If there has been a recent suicide attempt in your family, this may be one of the toughest experiences you and your children may ever face. It is important to take care of yourself, so that you are better able to care for your child.

This guide is intended to provide you with some of that support, and also share other resources that may be helpful for you now and as your family recovers. The guide is not intended to replace professional mental health advice. In fact, it may be best to use this along with professional support if you or your child is struggling with how to talk about this difficult subject.

Learn more about how to talk to a child about suicide attempt in your family
By Rocky Mountain MIRECC for Suicide Prevention

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Bullying, Excessive Internet Use Put Teens at Increased Suicide Risk, Study Finds

Why Are Ski Towns Seeing More Suicides?

How Do You Help Someone Who Is At Risk Of Suicide?

How Data From a Crisis Text Line is Saving Lives

What Drives Larimer County Youths to Suicide?

How to Talk to a Child about a Suicide Attempt in Your Family

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Bullying, Excessive Internet Use Put Teens at Increased Suicide Risk, Study Finds﻿

Why Are Ski Towns Seeing More Suicides?

How Do You Help Someone Who Is At Risk Of Suicide?

How Data From a Crisis Text Line is Saving Lives﻿

What Drives Larimer County Youths to Suicide?

How to Talk to a Child about a Suicide Attempt in Your Family

Author

Categories

Archives

Bullying, Excessive Internet Use Put Teens at Increased Suicide Risk, Study Finds

How Data From a Crisis Text Line is Saving Lives