5 Initiative to Prevent Impulsive Suicidal Behavior Shawnee Mission North High School Within

Situation in Kansas O In 2008, the suicide rate among Kansas youth ages was 10.5 per 100,000. O From , ages 0-19 O 1220 Unintentional injuries (70% MVAs) O 206 Suicides (plus 19 more unspecified firearm deaths) O 179 Homicides O 172 Cancers

Situation in Johnson County O For the 20 years ending 2009 O Suicides of youth 0-24 years of age O Johnson County O 143 total, or about 7 per year

Suicide Early Warning Signs O Withdrawal O Preoccupation with death O Marked personality change & serious mood changes O Difficulty concentrating O Decline in quality of school work O Change in eating habits O Change in sleeping patterns-insomnia and hypersomina

Early Warning Signs O Loss of interest in favorite activities O Frequent complaints about physical symptoms, often related to emotions (stomachaches, headaches, fatigue) O Persistent boredom

Late Warning Signs O Talking about suicide-specific plans O Impulsive or violent actions, rebellious behavior, or running away O Refusing help or feeling beyond help O Claiming to be a bad person O Hopelessness, helplessness, or worthlessness O Worsening of sleep disturbance (last week of life)

Late Warning Signs O Being intolerant of praise or rewards O Making statements that hint at or directly imply suicide O Suddenly cheerful after a period of depression O Making a last will and testament

Impulsivity O 25% of 153 survivors of near lethal suicide attempts acted within 5 minutes of the impulse to do so O 71% acted within one hour Factors associated with the medical severity of suicide attempts in youths and young adult (Swahn MH, Potter LB, 2001)

Crisis/% same day by age 33% N=1,671 CT,ME,UT,WI, Allegheny County, San Francisco County

Suicide is not a “destiny” O 90% of survivors of near-lethal suicide attempts do not complete suicide thereafter O Individuals who are suicidal usually do not have a plan B O That is why we limit access to lethal suicide methods

Seiden Study O Seiden found that cutting off or slowing down an individuals means to act on suicide, allows time for the impulse to pass- perhaps even blocks the impulse from being triggered to begin with.

“The British Coal-Gas Story” O For generations, the English heated their homes and fueled their stoves with coal gas O Coal is very deadly in unburned form O In 1950’s “Sticking one’s head in the oven” accounted for some 2,500 suicides a year O Once the nation moved to natural gas, Britain’s national suicide rate dropped by nearly a third O In a moment of deep despair, rage or sadness, people will turn to ways that are quick and available

Lock it Up O Firearms are the most common method of suicide by youth. This is true for both males and females, younger and older adolescents, and for all races (Kachur et al., 1995) O The most common location for the occurrence of firearm suicides by youth is the home (Brent et al., 1993) O There is a positive association between the accessibility and availability of firearms in the home and the risk for youth suicide (Brent et al., 1993; Kellerman et al., 1992)

Guns used in suicide

Restriction is the BEST O Firearms play a major role in suicide O We promote safe storage O 4 Strategies each protect O Trigger locks O Lock Boxes O Cabinets O Lock ammo in separate location

“Within 5” O Initiative to Lock Up all firearms within the home to prevent suicide O We are asking Parents, Grandparents and Family Friends to lock up all firearms in the home O Give our young people time to change their minds

Safe Boxes and Tigger Locks O Gunvault NV200 Walmart $28.19 O Gunvault Multi Storage Walmart $139-$159 O Winchester Personal Drawer Safe Walmart $44.97 O DTX SafeQuarter Master 7650 Walmart $ O Project Child Safe Cable-Style Gun Lock Free through local Police Departments

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline