Teen Suicide is an alarming problem in the United States and throughout the world, but it is preventable. Knowing how to recognize warning signs, learning how to respond to suicidal teenagers and developing the ability to assess the degree of risk can make the difference between life and death.
In this introductory level course we will explore current attitudes and assumptions about suicide. We will review the myths surrounding teen suicide and differentiate them from facts. Participants will be able to recognize specific warning signs and will gain tools that they can implement right away to evaluate suicide risk in teenagers. Participants will learn what to do, and what not to do, to respond. Standard protocol for responding to suicide in schools or agencies will also be explored.
The course consists of four sets of articles. Basic up-to-date information is provided in the first. Once the stage is set, the second set explores commonly held attitudes, beliefs and assumptions about teenage suicide and provides the reader with a chance to consider his/her own attitudes and beliefs about teen suicide. The third set explores the facts and statistics associated with teen suicide as well as profiles for teen suicide attempters and an overview of the warning signs for the typical suicide attempter. The fourth set provides tools for assessing suicide risk and vignettes for real life application, and the last set presents a standard protocol for effectively managing suicide risk, as well as postvention strategies for use in the aftermath of suicide. Finally, resources and references are presented.
