1. SUICIDE PREVENTION EMPATHY & HOW TO HELP A FRIEND December 2014

2. S UICIDE F ACTS & F IGURES  3 rd leading cause of death for youth ages 10-14  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 15-24 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. Y OUTH R ISK B EHAVIOR S URVEY - 2013 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

6. 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

7. S TACKING C UPS

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

9. 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

10.  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 www.helpguide.org/mental/depression_teen_teenagers.htm What you can do to feel better

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

12. E MPATHY VS. S YMPATHY

13. 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

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

15. 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!

16. 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

17. 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!

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

19. Do you prefer chatting online instead of talking to someone? Monday – Thursday 6:00-9:00 PM www.IMHear.org National Texting Line – 24/7 Text TALK to 741-741 www.crisistextline.org/

20. O NLINE R ESOURCES  www.masspreventssuicide.org www.masspreventssuicide.org  www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org  www.suicidology.org www.suicidology.org  www.afsp.org www.afsp.org  www.samaritanshope.org www.samaritanshope.org  www.helpguide.org – depression & teens www.helpguide.org  www.doe.mass.edu – Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education www.doe.mass.edu  www.sioutreach.org - Self-Injury Resources www.sioutreach.org

21. WWW. SAMARITANSHOPE. ORG Samaritans Statewide Number 1-877-870-HOPE (4673) SamariTeen Line 1-800-252-TEEN (8336) National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1- 800-273-TALK (8255) Business Line: 617-536-2460