Silence Tantamount To Active Complicity
When it comes to talking to kids, the S-word that stops more parents in their tracks than “sex” is “suicide.”
The typical response when a youngster drops hints about ending his or her life is no response. Mental health professionals say adults are afraid to talk with an adolescent about suicide because it might plant the idea in an impressionable mind.
“The fact is,” says Spokane psychologist Dr. Paul Quinnett, a national expert on suicide, “the kids are already thinking about it and talking about it, and some of them are making attempts, and some of them are dying.”
Indeed, between 1950 and 1990, the suicide rate among 15- to 24-year-olds tripled. And statistics show that for every successful suicide there are another seven to 10 attempts that result in hospitalization.
In a recent national poll of 3,210 honor students, 25 percent had considered suicide. Once the decision is made, warnings follow, from overt statements about having nothing to live for to subtler indicators such as suddenly giving away possessions.
That’s the time to ask what’s going on, says Professor Ann Mealy, who teaches psychiatric mental health classes at the Intercollegiate Center for Nursing Education.
But how to ask such an awkward question: “Are you considering suicide?” And what to do next?
Fortunately, we in Spokane have helpful resources.
Quinnett has developed a program that trains people - nearly 30,000 of them nationwide so far - in how to ask questions, how to persuade someone to seek help and how to make referrals.
Christie Toribara, the mother of a gifted, popular and well-rounded teenage son who committed suicide two years ago, has founded a nonprofit organization known as SMILE (Students Mastering Important Life-skills Education) to spread information about suicide prevention and to provide coping skills “so suicide is never considered a solution to emotional pain.”
Washington’s statewide youth suicide prevention plan is considered a model for other states.
Statistics show that 91 percent of those who commit suicide are suffering from diagnosable illnesses that could have been treated with medication and counseling. And 80 percent of those who get help go on to lead healthy lives, says Robin Mandelas, suicide prevention coordinator for Spokane County Regional Health District.
Recognizing and acting on suicide signals can salvage young lives.
People interested in SMILE can call 448-8886 or write to P.O. Box 30357, Spokane 99223.
Someone needing immediate help can dial 838-4428 to reach First Call for Help, a 24-hour crisis line maintained by the Spokane Community Mental Health Center.
These resources serve the community only if caring citizens know about them and use them.
, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Doug Floyd/For the editorial board