1. Depression and Suicide

2. Depression Experienced with loss or failure
-ex. friend moving away, getting cut from a team
Usually will lift after a few days or weeks

3. Clinical Depression
Mood disorder in which one experiences feelings of despair, sadness, and hopelessness for prolonged periods of time
Unable to enjoy activities that were once a source of pleasure
People become unable to accomplish their daily tasks

4. Clinical Depression (cont)
Can cause problems at school, home, and in one’s social life
If untreated, can lead to substance abuse, serious behavior problems, and even suicide

5. Recognizing Depression
It is normal to be moody, irritable, or tired at times
About one in 12 teens will experience clinical depression before 18
After 15, females are twice as likely as males to suffer from depression
Some teens may have a single episode of clinical depression; others experience more than one episode of depression

6. Signs of Clinical Depression
Change in appetite; significant weight gains or losses
Change in sleep patterns; difficulty sleeping or sleeping too much
Change in activity level; sluggish or frantic
Loss of interest in usual activities
Loss of energy; always tired
Hopelessness; excessive guilt
Difficulty thinking/ concentrating
Repeated thoughts of death and suicide

7. Risk Factors Depression rarely appears “out of the blue”
Risk factors identified for depression:
A parent or biological relative with a mood disorder
A major life change or prolonged stressful situation
Being a victim of a violent crime or witnessing violence
A previous bout of depression
A sense of hopelessness

8. Treatment for Depression
Medication:
Chemicals in brain control how signals pass from once nerve cell to another
Depression inhibits the brain from using these chemicals properly
Medication helps to restore normal brain functions
Mental health professionals:
Provide new strategies for coping

9. Self-Injury
Unhealthy way to cope with emotions, stress, or traumatic events
Way of trying to “feel better”
Provides temporary relief from painful feelings
Cutting
Burning

10. Self-Injury: Cutting (cont)
Cutting: the use of a sharp object to intentionally cut or scratch ones body deep enough to bleed
Often begins on an impulse
Way to distract oneself from unbearable feelings of rejection and helplessness
Way of controlling things

11. Self-Injury: Cutting (cont)
Unhealthy coping mechanism: people who do it have not developed healthy ways of dealing with strong emotions, intense pressure, or upsetting relationship problems.
Compulsive behavior - The more a person does it, the more he or she feels the need to do it.
The brain starts to connect the false sense of relief; craves this relief the next time tension builds.
Can seem impossible to stop; an addiction

12. Self-Injury: Cutting (cont)
The urge to cut might be triggered by strong feelings the person can't express - such as anger, hurt, shame, frustration, or depression.
People who cut or self-injure sometimes have other mental health problems
Ex. depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, obsessive thinking, or compulsive behaviors

13. Self-Injury: Cutting (cont)
What Can Happen to People Who Cut?
The troubles that triggered the cutting remain, they're just masked over
Possible to misjudge the depth of a cut, making it so deep that it requires stitches
Cuts can become infected if a person uses non-sterile or dirty cutting instruments - razors, scissors, pins, or even the sharp edge of the tab on a can of soda.
Most people who cut aren't attempting suicide

14. Suicide The intentional killing of oneself
Affects all kinds of people: young, old, smart, rich, poor, average
Most suicides occur without warning
Between 1950 and 1990 teen suicide rate quadrupled (declined since 1990)

15. Suicide Facts
3rd leading cause of death for ages 10 to 24, 2nd leading cause for ages 25-34, and 4th leading cause for ages
11 people between die every day
Within every 2 hours and 15 minutes, a person under 25 commits suicide
Males are more likely to be successful in committing suicide
Firearms most commonly used in suicides (account for 57% of all suicides)

16. Suicide Facts (cont) Females are more likely to attempt suicide
Black youths have shown the largest increase in suicide rates (still lower than whites)
Most teen suicides occur after school hours and at home
Likely that 3 students in every classroom have attempted suicide in the last year
Not all attempters may admit their intent

17. Suicide facts (cont)
1 out of 16 people diagnosed with depression eventually end their life by suicide
Risk of suicide in people with depression is 20 times greater then general population
Alcohol and drug dependent people at greater risk
Suicide rate is highest for elderly (85+)
Suicide is preventable; some give warning signs
Surviving family members at higher risk of suicide and emotional problems

18. Cluster Suicides
Suicides and suicide attempts can trigger other suicides
Cluster suicides: a series of suicides that occur within a short period of time in the same peer group or community
Some can involve a pact between friends
Some occur in response to an initial suicide
Immediate counseling after a suicide can help to prevent cluster suicides

19. Suicide Risk Factors Mood Disorders (depression)
Previous attempt or family history of suicide
Having both a mental disorder and a substance abuse disorder
Feelings of hopelessness or isolation
Lack of access to mental health treatment
Being influenced by the suicide of family members, peers, or celebrities

20. Suicide Protective Factors
Treatment of mental disorders
Getting treatment for substance abuse
Becoming connected to school/community
Gaining close relationships with family, friends, others
Having personal beliefs that discourage suicide

21. Helping Others: Suicide Prevention
Take all threats seriously
Privately let the person know that you are concerned
Remind them that suicide cannot be reversed
Reassure them that many people contemplate suicide but don’t actually do it
Listen to suicide plans; can indicate how permanent plans are

22. Helping Others: Suicide Prevention
Share your own experiences
Never be sworn to secrecy; may lose a friendship, but may save a life
Be honest about contacting family members
Become familiar with the local services/ contacts and make appropriate referrals

23. Helping Yourself: Suicide Prevention
Remember that suicide is NEVER a solution to problems
Talk to an adult or mental health professional
Explore resources at school (nurse, counselor, psychologist)
Be honest about suicidal thoughts
Contact a 24 hour crisis center