SUICIDE PREVENTION EMPATHY & HOW TO HELP A FRIEND December 2014

S UICIDE F ACTS & F IGURES  3 rd leading cause of death for youth ages  1 woman dies for every 4 men by suicide, but women are 3x more likely to attempt than men.  Over 4800 youth between the ages of die by suicide each year – in the US (making suicide #2 for this age group)  An average of 1 person every 16 minutes dies by suicide each year in the US – over 39,000 people

S UICIDE M YTHS  Talking about suicide will cause someone to attempt suicide  People who kill themselves do not warn other people  Once a person is suicidal they’re suicidal forever  Those who have attempted suicide and failed will not try again  You have to be a mental health professional to help someone who is suicidal

W ARNING S IGNS  Preoccupation with suicide and/or death  Feelings of sadness or hopelessness, often accompanied by anxiety  Declining school performance  Loss of pleasure/interest in social and sports activities  Sleeping too little or too much  Changes in weight or appetite

Y OUTH R ISK B EHAVIOR S URVEY MA P UBLIC M IDDLE S CHOOL S TUDENTS Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education  16% felt sad or hopeless  36% felt they needed to talk to an adult about problems or feelings they were having  14% Non-suicidal self injury  8% Seriously considered suicide  4% Attempted suicide

Y OUTH R ISK F ACTORS  Diagnosed or undiagnosed Mental Illness  Homeless students  Sexual minority youth  Students who engage in binge drinking or illegal drug use  Students who have experienced violence

S TACKING C UPS

W HAT ARE SOME EMOTIONS A SUICIDAL PERSON MAY FEEL ?  Depressed  Confused  Isolated  Worthless  Out of Control  Overwhelmed  Helpless  Hopeless

P ROTECTIVE F ACTORS  Sense of humor  Support networks  Problem solving skills  Coping Skills  Ability to express emotions  Ability to ask for help  Faith/values

 Ask for help if you’re stressed  Try not to isolate yourself  Remember that you are not alone  Keep your body healthy  Avoid alcohol and drugs What you can do to feel better

H ELPING A F RIEND  Listen  Ask  Get Help

E MPATHY VS. S YMPATHY

L ISTEN  DO:  Show that you care  Give all your attention  Ask questions  DON’T:  Talk about yourself  Give advice  Tell them what they are feeling is unimportant

A SK  Ask questions  Open-ended questions  Avoid “why” questions

ASK  Ask the question directly: “Do you sometimes feel so bad that you think about suicide?”  Be ready to support them whether they answer yes or no!

G ET H ELP W HEN TO TELL OTHERS  If someone’s life is at risk, that’s too big a risk to keep to yourself  It’s always easier to ask for forgiveness than permission  You may have an angry friend who is alive rather than a friend who is no longer alive

G ET H ELP W HO TO TALK TO ?  A Trusted Adult  Teacher or Guidance Counselor  Parent  Neighbor or Religious leader  Mentors  Anyone you trust who you believe can deal with the situation you present to them  If you don’t get the help you need – seek someone else!

S AMARITANS P ROGRAMS & S ERVICES  Hotline/Samariteens  IM_Hear  Crisis Text Line

Do you prefer chatting online instead of talking to someone? Monday – Thursday 6:00-9:00 PM National Texting Line – 24/7 Text TALK to

O NLINE R ESOURCES       – depression & teens  – Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education  - Self-Injury Resources

WWW. SAMARITANSHOPE. ORG Samaritans Statewide Number HOPE (4673) SamariTeen Line TEEN (8336) National Suicide Prevention Lifeline TALK (8255) Business Line: