Category: Youth

Here's How Schools can Support Students' Mental Health

9/27/2016

About one in five children in the United States shows signs of a mental health disorder — anything from ADHD to eating disorders to suicide.

And yet, as we've been reporting this month, many schools aren't prepared to work with these students. Often, there's been too little training in recognizing the problems, the staff who are trained are overworked, and there just isn't enough money.
When there are enough people to handle the job, how should all the different roles fit together?

Many experts point to one model. It's got a bureaucratic name — the "multi-tiered system of supports" — but when you picture it, just imagine an upside-down pyramid, or maybe a funnel. It starts with support for everyone and moves on to more and more specialized help.

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By Meg Anderson, NPREd

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

6/29/2016

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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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1 in 13 Young U.S. Adults Considered Suicide

6/24/2016

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About one in 13 young adults in the United States had serious thoughts of suicide in 2013-2014, federal officials reported Thursday.

That rate of 7.4 percent translates into 2.6 million Americans between the ages of 18 and 25, researchers said.

"Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among young adults, and it is preventable," said Kana Enomoto. She's principal deputy administrator at the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which released the report.

"We need to reach out to young people with the message that help is at hand, and promote effective programs for saving lives by treating people at risk whenever and wherever they need it," Enomoto added in an agency news release.

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By E.J. Mundell, HealthDay, CBS News

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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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Bullying Prevention Training Course

2/19/2016

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StopBullying.gov launched a new Bullying Prevention Online Course. The training provides guidance on how to take a public health approach to bullying prevention through the use of long-term, community-wide prevention strategies.

This is a self-study course and earning continuing education credit is available.

Read more and take the course

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Many Depressed Teens Don't Get Follow-Up Care

2/11/2016

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Depression can strike during the teen years, but too many U.S. teenagers with the illness are not getting proper follow-up care, a new study finds.

"These results raise concerns about the quality of care for adolescent depression," concluded a team led by Briannon O'Connor, who conducted the study while at New York University School of Medicine.
One expert wasn't surprised by the findings.

"Most adolescents who are depressed do not receive any treatment whatsoever for their impairments for many reasons, including lack of access to care, stigma, and a workplace shortage of trained child and adolescent psychiatrists," said Dr. Aaron Krasner, chief of the Adolescent Transitional Living Service at Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, Conn.

As the study authors explained, major depression affects 12 percent of teens, and as many as 26 percent of young people experience at least mild depression. Prompt treatment is crucial because failure to relieve depression increases the risk of recurrent depression and more impaired functioning in the long term, the researchers said.

By Healthfinder.gov - Read Full Article

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"A Friend Asks" App & B1 Program - By The Jason Foundation

6/15/2015

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“A Friend Asks” is a FREE smart-phone app that helps provide the information, tools and resources to help a friend (or yourself) who may be struggling with thoughts of suicide. Download the app today and encourage friends and family to do the same. Education is the key to prevention and with information like this as close as your smartphone; you could help save a life!

The “A Friend Asks” App contains the following information:

warning signs of suicidal ideation
how to help a friend
how to get help now
what to do and what not to do
the B1 Program

B1 Program - Take the B1 Pledge
“The B1 Pledge,” you can help take some of the “silence” away from the “Silent Epidemic” of youth suicide. Teens and even parents can help their friends who may be struggling by learning about the problem and making a plan to help. After taking the pledge to “B1,” we hope that you’ll “Be Aware, Be Able and Be Prepared to React.”

For more information about A Friend Asks App or B1 Program, visit The Jason Foundation

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Here's How Schools can Support Students' Mental Health

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

1 in 13 Young U.S. Adults Considered Suicide

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?

Bullying Prevention Training Course

Many Depressed Teens Don't Get Follow-Up Care

"A Friend Asks" App & B1 Program - By The Jason Foundation

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