Every year approximately 5,000 teens commit suicide and over 20% of teens have admitted to seriously considering suicide.
This equates to about 12 deaths per day.
If these numbers are astonishing, they should be!
Suicide is a very preventable cause of death that affects those that are left behind in a domino effect.
That is why suicide prevention training is essential in youth suicide prevention.
Read on to learn how you can spot a person who is in trouble and what you can do today to help reduce the number of people who die by suicide.
What are the leading signs of suicide?
A person who has suicidal thoughts may not always be easy to spot.
Typically, there are little signs, though.
Often a person who is suicidal vocalizes the wish that they were not alive, had not been born, or that their loved ones would be better without them.
They may become uninterested in things that they once found fun, or begin giving away things that were once precious to them.
Other people begin to acquire weapons and possibly start doing drugs or drinking excessively.
You may notice that the person is avoiding interaction with other people or acting as if they will not be around for long.
They may seem anxious, aggravated, or stressed by the simplest things.
Some people may go as far as making a will, a plan of how they will commit suicide, or taking out a life insurance policy on themselves.
Who can be affected by suicidal thoughts?
Suicidal thoughts can affect anyone, not just people with mental illnesses or people that are severally depressed.
Our world is full of stress due to many factors — bullies, work and school stress, financial issues, and the death of a loved one, to name a few.
People who use drugs or drink can also be at risk of suicidal intentions.
Suicide is a major risk factor for people age 15 to 24 and also those over age 60.
Other factors that could put a person at risk of having suicidal thoughts or death by suicide include:
- A history of death by suicide in the family
- A history of suicidal attempts
- Family trauma or serious abuse in the family — both tho the person themselves or those around them
- And chronic illnesses
To name a few.
How you can help
The first step in helping to reduce the number of people that die by suicide is to keep up on suicide prevention training.
Watching out for the signs of suicidal intentions can go a long way in youth suicide prevention.
If you notice someone who has any of the symptoms of suicidal thoughts or attempted suicide, it is vital to their health that you assist them in getting the help they need.
Have them write a list of all the people that they can contact for support.
This also serves as a reminder to them that people care.
This also serves as a reminder to them that people do care.
Tell them about the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline which can be reached at 800-273-TALK (8255).
Have them text the Crisis Textline at, 741741 or call 988 to talk to a professional.
If they are stressed about it, remind them that only around 3% of calls ever need police intervention and that there are people who want nothing more than to help them.
