2. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), as of 2007: Suicide was the tenth leading cause of death There were 11.3 suicide deaths per every 100,000 people For every suicide death, there were 11 suicide attempts Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people (15-24) A suicide occurs every 17 minutes

3. Fear Depression Loneliness Isolation Hopelessness Inability to cope Abandonment What caused Ethan and Mattie to attempt to end their lives? Write down the various reasons for their actions? Share what you came up with?

4. What are the warning signs of suicide? Using one of the following links, provide a list of the common suicide warning signs. Suicide Statistics American Foundation for Suicide Prevention National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

5. The Six Steps of the PPA The 6 Steps of the Public Policy Analyst (PPA) 1. Define the ProblemDefine the Problem 2. Gather the EvidenceGather the Evidence 3. Identify the CausesIdentify the Causes 4. Evaluate a PolicyEvaluate a Policy 5. Develop a Solution Develop a Solution 6. Select the Best SolutionSelect the Best Solution

6. Using step 5 of the PPA, develop some strategies to help prevent the rise of teenage suicide in the United States. Developing Public Policy Solutions.doc Your proposal is due in two classes.

7. Now that you are aware of the warning signs of suicide and you have developed some strategies to help prevent suicide, let’s pretend that you are Ethan or Mattie’s counselor/therapist. Write a one-act play that demonstrates your knowledge of suicide prevention. What would you say to one of these characters?