Preventing Youth Suicide

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Recommended: Today adolescent suicide is a major public health concern

Youth suicide is a public health concern. Suicide is the fifth leading cause of death among children ages 15-24. Recently, more young people died from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other medical conditions combined (Miller, Mazza, & Eckert, 2009). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated that since the 1950s, the rate of suicide in youth has increased by more than 300 percent (Joe & Bryant, 2007). The number of youth suicides that are reported is actually lower than the actual number of youth suicides. Suggested by the literature, this is due to concern for the family, the social implications, religious views and other factors (Page, 1996). Is suicide preventable? Can we reduce the number of suicide attempts? What role should school professional’s play in the prevention of suicide? Although it is believed that if someone has the idea to commit suicide it will definitely happen, results indicate that the more school professionals that are educated about suicide, the signs and prevention, the more suicides that could be prevented. School professionals can and should be a key aspect in the prevention of youth suicide by knowing the warning signs and knowing how to intervene to prevent an attempt or successful suicide.

In this paper I found three themes, the first theme is causes of suicide, what this theme entails is warning signs of suicide, risks due to school difficulties and risks due to out of school difficulties. The second theme is commonality; what this theme entails is information on suicide attempts, rates of suicide, and differences between males and females. My third theme of this paper has to do with prevention; what this entails is how to prevent attempts of suicide, preve...

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...ior: An introduction and overview. School Psychology Review, 38(2), 153-167.

Page, R. (1996). Youth suicidal behavior: completions, attempts and ideations. High School Journal, 80, 60-65.

Peach, L., & Reddick, T. (1991). Counselors can make a difference in preventing adolescent suicide. School Counselor, 39(2), 107-110.

Smith, J., & King, K. (2000). Project soar: a training program to increase school counselors. Journal of School Health, 70(10), 402-407.

Taliaferro, L., Rienzo, B., Miller, D., Pigg, M., & Dodd, V. (2008). High school youth and suicide risk: Exploring protection afforded through physical activity and sport participation. Journal of School Health, 78(10), 545-553.

Walsh, E., & Eggert, L. (2007). Suicide risk and protective factors among youth experiencing school difficulties. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 16(5), 349-359.

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