Florida School Toolkit for K-12 Educators to Prevent Suicide

7. What causes cluster suicides? C lusters of suicides fall into two different categories. Mass clusters have been researched extensively since the 1700s. A mass cluster might occur when a celebrity or a known national figure dies by suicide. There is not a lot of research support for mass suicide clusters; however, the suicide of Robin Williams, for example, a very beloved American actor, resulted in an increased suicide rate in America. Point clusters refer to more suicides than we would expect in a short space of time in one geographical region. It is well known that teenagers are more susceptible to imitating suicidal behavior than any other age group. Exposure to suicide has been added as a suicide risk factor. Think of it this way, the suicide of a young person is like throwing a rock into a pond causing a ripple effect in the schools, communities, and places of worship. This ripple effect is greater than ever before today because of social networks. Vulnerable youth find each other online. Schools have had a tendency to think that the suicide only affected their one school when, in reality, students in many middle schools and high schools in the area are affected. There needs to be collaboration between schools, agencies, mental health, law enforcement, medical community, and survivor groups. Essentially, youth suicide prevention must involve the entire village, as no single entity or agency can do enough alone. It is essential that suicide information be shared with all concerned and everyone understand that suicide is not fate, nor is it destiny, and the vast majority of youth suicides can and should be prevented. 8. Are teens capable of hiding depression? T here are a number of clear warning signs of teenage depression. Parents have reported that they are often confused as to whether it is really depression or typical teenage moodiness, irritability, and angst. Here are the key things that parents need to be looking for. First, is this pervasive? That means, is it affecting all aspects of your child’s life including school and academic performance, peer and social relationships, and family relationships. Is this behavior persistent? That means, has it gone on for two or three weeks or more? The next thing the parent needs to consider is whether their child has dropped out of activities that were previously pleasurable to them. For example, your son enjoyed playing basketball for years but this year he has decided not to go out for the team. Or, your daughter has enjoyed playing volleyball or has been on the dance team for years and now suddenly, she has lost interest in those activities. I believe it is vitally important that parents are involved in all aspects of their child’s life and, if you pay attention to these factors, I do not think that an adolescent is going to be able to hide their state of depression from you. If they are isolating themselves in their room and they are having problems with their sleep cycle and they don’t want to have meals with the family or they are not involved in social activities at the level previously, then I believe you know, as a parent, something is wrong. Please, do not hesitate to seek professional help for your child. It is estimated that 20 percent of all teenagers suffer from depression at some point during those tumultuous years. It is also concerning that a review of the literature says that 80 percent of depressed teenagers never receive any treatment whatsoever. The treatment needed, very likely, will involve cognitive behavior or talk therapy but also may in addition include antidepressant medications. Many professionals, including myself, believe that the “black box warning” on antidepressants for adolescents has resulted in many adolescents who desperately needed those medications not receiving them. We also believe that not receiving needed medication has contributed to the increase in suicide rates for adolescents, as it is now their second-leading cause of death. This 143