The SUICIDES AND DEPRESSION AWARENESS FOR STUDENTS
People contemplating suicide or experiencing the depths of a severe depression need to know they are not alone. From teenagers to college students, LGBT to the elderly, people struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts need options, reassurance, hope and help.
CONTENT NAVIGATION
Meet the Experts
Understanding Suicide
From the Expert
Mental Health, Depression & Suicide
Depression & Suicide: The Facts
Help & Resources
Suicide Warning Signs
How to Get Help
Special Populations at Risk
Get Involved!
Meet the Experts
expertSTEVE SCHLOZMAN
Steve Schlozman, MD is associate director of The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital and an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He practices child and adult psychiatry at Mass General and serves as the primary consultant to the pediatric transplant service. Dr. Schlozman received BAs in English and biology from Stanford University and his MD from the Dartmouth-Brown Program in Medicine. He serves as supervisor for both general psychiatry residents and child psychiatry fellows. He has been involved in national efforts to increase recruitment in psychiatry and decrease stigma with regard to psychiatric illness. To learn more about Dr. Schlozman, follow him on Twitter (@SSchlozman), or visit his page at the Clay Center.
expertA. MICHELE TEDDER
A. Michele Tedder holds an MS in Nursing Education. She is the founder & CEO of Joy for Life, a life purpose, personal and professional development coaching organization, and the author of “Don’t Let Grief Steal Your Joy.” She was employed for 18 years at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh, PA., one of the largest behavioral health care providers in the country and affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. During her tenure, Michele held positions as a nurse clinician in the emergency room, a clinical nurse specialist for Services for Teens at Risk (STAR), an outpatient clinic specializing in the treatment of adolescents suffering from depression and suicide, and the Project Coordinator for an outreach program called Reaching out to Adolescents with Depression (ROAD), specializing in the identification, assessment and treatment of depressed adolescents in primary care settings.
Introduction
Depression and suicidal thoughts are two of the most frightening things a person can face in their lifetime. Unfortunately, acting on those suicidal thoughts is a far too common scenario for many across the world, including students. In fact, suicide is the second-leading cause of death for those between the ages of 15 and 24.
This guide is dedicated to helping those who are suffering or have suffered from depression, suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts. It is also designed for concerned friends and family members who might be worried that someone they love will experience death by suicide. Finally, it is meant for students, so that they might spot the warning signs of suicide in others – or in themselves – and find the proper resources.
If a suicide attempt seems immediate, call 911. If the threat is urgent, you can also call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK, 1-800-SUICIDE, your local crisis center, dial 911, or take the person to an emergency room. Remove guns, drugs, knives, and other potentially lethal objects from the vicinity but do not, under any circumstances, leave a suicidal person alone. In search of possible means for attempting suicide, don’t forget cars, glove compartments, trunks, and other places within the car as a possible location for weapons.
Understanding Suicide
An overwhelming surge of emotions that never seems to end – that’s what some who have attempted suicide try to describe to those who ask to understand why they feel the way they do. Those who are contemplating suicide might literally feel as though there is no way out of their situation. They are bombarded with feelings of hopelessness, fear, isolation, hatred toward themselves and so much more. The pain they feel is often immeasurable, to a point where they see no other option than to end their lives.
But many people who have attempted suicide will say that they wanted to live. They really didn’t want to die; the desire to remain with loved ones remained very strong. They simply didn’t see any other options.
What causes such a strong conflict in a person? What leads to that feeling of a dead-end, no-way-out scenario?
There are many reasons that someone might choose suicide or contemplate suicidal thoughts. Those reasons are often so complex and complicated that the person suffering from those feelings might not be able to articulate exactly what is going on in their head and heart. However, long and difficult research has found that the basic motivation for suicide is the feeling of utter despair and hopelessness. How a person reaches that point is what varies from one to another.
From the Expert:
Dr. Schlozman answers questions about depression and suicide
There is often a stigma attached to mental illness, including depression and anxiety. How can we fight against that stigma to make it clear that getting help is okay?
There are a number of central components that are effective for combatting stigma with regard to mental health. Most importantly, we need to avoid an us/them split. Mental Health diagnoses affect about 20% of the population at any given time. Still, the stories we hear most often are the ones that stress most starkly the differences between people without a psychiatric diagnosis and the ones with one. We hear most often about suicides, homicides, and a host of other potentially frightening and off-putting behaviors. This of course is not an accurate representation of mental illness. 20% of the population isn’t murderous, for example. The best means by which these issues can be addressed is to have people be willing to tell their own stories. Even more powerful, there exists all sorts of data showing that well known figures – actors, professional athletes, political leaders and so forth – who are willing to discuss their psychiatric challenges go a long ways towards gaining acceptance among everyone for the same challenges. Finally, we all need, as a culture, to be more open and more vigilant for stigmatizing views. Comments like “What, are you off your medications?” never help and make others less likely to come forward when they’re having problems.
What can someone expect from their first meeting with a mental health professional?
If it’s a good fit, you can expect to be treated respectfully and with confidentiality. Remember that mental health clinicians don’t really have diagnostic tests. We don’t have chest x-rays or blood tests or anything like that. What we have is the story. That means that a good mental health professional will take the time to get to know you in order to help understand what brought you to the appointment. Tell your clinician why you’re there. Understand that you might not be able to get the whole story in after just one visit. Be prepared to be asked questions that might be uncomfortable – questions about suicidal thoughts, for example. But also remember that these clinicians ask these questions every day. They aren’t being nosy! They’re just getting the information they need to help.
In your writings, you have pointed out that spring is actually the time when the numbers of suicides go up. What are some common triggers that might push someone over the edge from depression to despair?
From a psychological standpoint, there are many of the typical culprits that seem to be accentuated in the spring. Relationships dissolve, new friends are made and others perhaps move on. These are stressful events that can lead to increased suicidal feelings. From a more biological perspective, there is mounting evidence that the increased inflammation consistent with springtime allergies is associated with worsening depression and suicidal thoughts. To this end, better control of seasonal allergies is likely to be protective. This is especially the case if you move as a young adult to a new location and encounter new allergens.
A teenager’s friend has just confided suicidal thoughts. What should that teenager do immediately to ensure the health of their friend?
Talk to the friend. Find out why the friend is feeling this way. Sometimes even the opportunity to discuss what’s going on is protective. But none of this can take the place of getting help, even against your friend’s will if need be. Ask if you can bring the concern to a responsible adult, but even if the answer is no, you still need to tell someone. Tell your parents, or your friend’s parents, or the guidance counselor at school. If you feel that your friend has already taken steps towards harming him or herself (by overdose, for example) call 911. Always take the concerns of someone expressing suicidal thoughts seriously. You’d much rather over-react than under-react.
Those making the transition from home to college might be especially vulnerable to mental health issues. How can they ensure their mental and emotional well-being during a trying time?
If the person making the transition is already in treatment, that person should work with the clinician to ensure that there are ample clinicians available and even met before college starts. If there hasn’t been a need for treatment, then you should still make sure that the student understands the signs of depression and anxiety. These feelings creep into freshman year and are often made worse by the isolation of a new school and a new peer group. Add to this the natural epidemiological onset of many psychiatric syndromes at around the time kids start college, and there is a much higher risk. Telling kids about these risks and making them aware of how to get help goes a long way towards ensuring that they’ll get the help when they need it. Finally, discussions of healthy living are super-important. You don’t have to study all the time. You don’t want to get caught in the cycle of unabated and excessive substance use. Exercise is easy to go to the wayside but is hugely neuroprotective. All of these tidbits will be heard and internalized by students as they prepare to head to school.
Is there anything else you would like to add about depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues that teenagers and young adults face?
Don’t worry alone! We’re pack animals. We do better if we let others know we’re suffering. Talk to friends, to parents, to mentors, to clergy…to the people who are designated to listen. These syndromes are immensely treatable, but the irony is that a key symptom of these syndromes is the belief that nothing can be done. Overcoming that misconception is most of the battle.
Mental Health, Depression & Suicide
Understanding the Connection
Depression has long been linked to suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. Learning how to recognize depression, spotting when it gets worse, and finding the right resources can literally mean the difference between life and death.
There was a time when depression was seen as something people just had to “get over.” There was a stigma attached that said those with depression simply needed to “toughen up.” But in recent years, that erroneous attitude has been replaced with much more understanding.
“I think the biggest change I’ve seen over the years is more public information about depression and suicide and more treatment options,” Tedder said. “Though medication is not the only treatment option for depression, there are a lot more choices of antidepressants that produce effective results with fewer side effects.”
Here is what you need to know about depression, and how to prevent it from turning into a suicidal situation.
Recognize depression.
Depression is quite common – in fact, between 30 and 70 percent of suicide victims suffer from major depression or a related disorder. Signs of depression include a feeling of helplessness, no longer finding joy in activities you used to enjoy, sleep changes, loss of energy, anger or irritability, reckless behavior, self-loathing, and more.
What if it’s not depression?
Sometimes, what seems to be depression is actually pointing to something else. For instance, you might feel extremely depressed at one point, but suddenly the mood lifts, and you are happier than you have ever been – then the cycle begins again. This might be bipolar disorder, or manic-depressive disorder, or a host of other mental health issues. Evaluation by a mental health professional is the key to figuring out what is wrong.
When depression gets to be too much.
Everyone gets depressed at some point in their lives. How long it lasts is one of the key factors to determining how severe the problem is. If depression has lasted for more than two weeks and it is affecting your day-to-day life, it’s time to get treatment. If depression seems to only get deeper and you feel as though things will never get better, immediate treatment is necessary.
Resources to fight depression.
When you are facing severe depression, there are a few things you can do to help ensure your health and well-being.
Get in touch with a counselor. Only a qualified mental health professional can give you the advice and diagnosis you need to figure out what is happening and how to resolve it. There is absolutely no shame in getting help, so do it right now – today, before things get worse.
Talk to friends. Be honest with your friends about your feelings. If you are feeling down, tell them that. If you need someone to talk to, tell them that, too. You might be surprised by how willing they are to help you through this.
Take medication as directed. If you are prescribed medications, take them exactly as directed. Never stop the meds simply because you are “feeling better.” This can lead to a rebound effect, which can make your depression even more severe.
Join support groups. There are numerous groups online and in person that can help you through depression by offering up stories of those who have already walked this path. Don’t hesitate to join them – those in the groups have been in your shoes, and they understand.