September 10, 2007 Hello! A report released this past week included some distressing statistics. "
Following a decline of more than 28 percent, the suicide
rate for 10- to-24-year-olds increased by 8 percent, the
largest single-year rise in 15 years, according to a report
released today in the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention?s (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
(MMWR). ... 'This is the biggest annual increase that we've
seen in 15 years. ... [I]t's a harsh reminder that suicide
and suicide attempts are affecting too many youth and young
adults. We need to make sure suicide prevention efforts are
continuous and reaching children and young adults.' ... A
previously published CDC survey of youth in grades 9 to 12
in public and private schools in the United States found
that 17 percent reported 'seriously considering' suicide,
13 percent reported creating a plan and 8 percent reported
trying to take their own life in the 12 months preceding
the survey. 'This study demands that we strengthen our
efforts to help parents, schools and health care providers
prevent things that increase the risk of suicide,' said Dr.
Arias. 'We need to build on the efforts dedicated to
education, screening and treatment and bridge the gap
between the knowledge we currently have and the action we
must take.'" With suicide rates up, and the percentages of those who have attempted or "seriously considered" suicide as high as they are, many are concerned and looking for ways to help these struggling teens and young adults. Unfortunately, this report did not provide the answers so much as it brought to the front more questions and concerns.
"Many of the suicide numbers issued Thursday raised more
questions than could be readily answered. ... Why did
suicide rates rise so steeply among young girls?
'Unfortunately, we don't know that,' said Arias of the CDC.
It could be a statistical fluke, because the actual numbers
are relatively small. Or it could be that there are
troubling changes in girls' stress levels or ability to
cope, she said. ... It's also unclear whether the increase
in teen suicides truly represents an emerging trend. 'Until
the CDC publishes data for 2005 we won't really know,'
Schaffer said. He suggested more research is needed to
understand the connection between teens' growing misuse of
prescription drugs and suicide. Changing patterns of
alcohol use by teens also are important, insofar as
two-thirds of suicides by older teens are linked to alcohol
abuse. Dr. Louis Kraus, chief of child and adolescent
psychiatry at Rush University Medical Center, said the key
point for anxious parents is this: 'If your kid is
troubled, get him to a child mental-health expert to be
assessed, and make sure there's good follow-up' if
medication is prescribed." With the misuse of prescription drugs on the rise, and the majority of teenage suicides taking place when judgment is in some way altered, there are those who are making the connection. Still others think that a lack of prescription medication is partially to blame.
"The FDA was prompted to issue warnings about
anti-depressants by two dozen studies showing that young
people were twice as likely to consider killing themselves
or start taking steps to do so after taking the drugs. None
of the subjects in the studies committed suicide, and the
risks were relatively small (4 percent versus 2 percent),
but the agency decided it had to act. In 2003 and 2004, the
FDA issued public health advisories warning that
anti-depressants appeared to increase suicidal thoughts and
behavior among teens. Late in 2004, it ordered drugmakers
to place a black box warning -- the agency's strongest
signal of serious risk -- on the medications' labels. The
move contributed to a steep decline in anti-depressant
prescriptions for teens, as pediatricians and family
doctors re-evaluated their risks and benefits. Firms
tracking drug use report declines of 25 percent or more
since 2003. On Wednesday, University of Illinois at Chicago
psychiatry professor Robert Gibbons published a paper in
the American Journal of Psychiatry that documented a close
correlation between declining use of the anti-depressants
known as SSRIs and rising suicide rates among young people
up to age 19. It concludes that if the FDA's warnings had
been correct, 'we would have expected to see decreases in
the suicide rate during the period of declining SSRI
prescription rates.' Instead, 'we saw an increase.' The
FDA's black box warning has had a 'horrible and unintended
effect' and should be withdrawn, Gibbons said Thursday. The
benefits of anti-depressants far exceed the risks, he
said." While some avoided these anti-depressant medications because they had concerns that they might increase the risk of suicide, still others did not realize that depression was part of their problem and/ or tried to deal with their problems by using alcohol and drugs... not realizing the negative overall effect that this would have.
"Teens with alcohol and drug problems are also more at risk
for suicidal thinking and behavior. Alcohol and some drugs
have depressive effects on the brain. Misuse of these
substances can bring on serious depression. ... The problem
can be made worse because many people who are depressed
turn to alcohol or drugs as an escape. But they may not
realize that the depressive effects alcohol and drugs have
on the brain can actually intensify depression in the long
run. In addition to their depressive effects, alcohol and
drugs alter a person's judgment. They interfere with the
ability to assess risk, make good choices, and think of
solutions to problems. Many suicide attempts occur when a
person is under the influence of alcohol or drugs." Everyone has difficult times. For some, these times are worse than others. Many teens who are living with depression don't realize that it is a part of their struggle and actually making it more difficult for them to cope with daily life.
"Most teens interviewed after making a suicide attempt say
that they did it because they were trying to escape from a
situation that seemed impossible to deal with or to get
relief from really bad thoughts or feelings. ... they
didn't want to die as much as they wanted to escape from
what was going on. And at that particular moment dying
seemed like the only way out. ... We all feel overwhelmed
by difficult emotions or situations sometimes. ... So why
does one person try suicide when another person in the same
tough situation does not? What makes some people more
resilient (better able to deal with life's setbacks and
difficulties) than others? What makes a person unable to
see another way out of a bad situation besides ending his
or her life? The answer to those questions lies in the fact
that most people who commit suicide have depression." A person can be so consumed by their depression that they don't realize how much it is affecting them.
"Sometimes people who feel suicidal may not even realize
they are depressed. They are unaware that it is the
depression -- not the situation -- that's influencing them
to see things in a 'there's no way out,' 'it will never get
better,' 'there's nothing I can do' kind of way. When
depression lifts because a person gets the proper therapy
or treatment, the distorted thinking is cleared. The person
can find pleasure, energy, and hope again. But while
someone is seriously depressed, suicidal thinking is a real
concern."
Depression and suicidal thoughts touch lives in every school.
"What if This Is You? Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to help someone understand what is really going on.
"What if It's Someone You Know?
Questions of the Week: Please email me with any ideas or suggestions. I look forward to reading what you have to say. Cindy |
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