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James Donaldson on Mental Health – Study looks at teens who deny suicidal thoughts, but later die by suicide
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By Erin Blakemore
A previous version of this article incorrectly said a new study had found that nearly 1 in 3 teens with depression who deny having thoughts of suicide or self-harm on a commonly used mental health screening questionnaire go on to kill or harm themselves in the following months. The study found that among teens with depression who go on to die by suicide or harm themselves, about 1 in 3 reported not having such thoughts in the screening questionnaire.
About 1 in 3 teens with depression who self-harm or die by suicide denied having such thoughts when completing a commonly used mental health screening questionnaire in the preceding days or weeks, a new analysis suggests.
The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, looked at 13-to-17-year-olds with depression diagnoses who answered Question 9 of the Personal Health Questionnaire (PHQ), which is used to screen for depression severity, before intentionally harming or killing themselves between 2009 and 2017.
The researchers split the teens into two groups: a cohort of 691 who completed the questionnaire within 30 days before self-harm or suicide and 1,024 who completed the questionnaire within 90 days of self-harm or suicide.
In the 30-day cohort, adolescents who gave themselves a score of 0 on the question about thoughts of suicide and self-harm were “significantly” less likely to have depression than those who said they were experiencing thoughts of suicide and self-harm. However, those with a history of inpatient mental health treatment were twice as likely to deny such thoughts as those with no history of mental health hospitalization.
Among the 90-day cohort, teens were less likely to report thoughts of death or self-harm if they had less severe depression, were older or were screened at a primary care provider’s office. Those with eating disorders were 60 percent less likely to deny thoughts of suicide or self-harm, however. Teens with a previous mental health inpatient stay, substance use disorder or a diagnosis of ADHD were likelier to score 0 on the questionnaire.
Overall, the researchers found, 30 percent of teens screened with the PHQ-9 who later intentionally self-harmed or died by suicide had reported they had no thoughts of suicide or self-harm on the questionnaire within the previous 30 or 90 days.
The researchers note that the questionnaire is used to screen for depression, not suicide specifically, and that the questionnaire became more common during the study period, which could account for some of the findings.
#James Donaldson notes: Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes. Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use. Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space.#http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle Find out more about the work I do on my 501c3 non-profit foundation website www.yourgiftoflife.org Order your copy of James Donaldson’s latest book, #CelebratingYourGiftofLife: From The Verge of Suicide to a Life of Purpose and Joy
To better address surging suicides and self-harm among teens, they write, it’s important to figure out why adolescents deny having such thoughts. Adolescents with a history of mental health hospitalization may be reluctant because they fear re-hospitalization, the researchers note, or are afraid that caregivers will overreact. The same fears could explain why older teens were less likely to disclose.
“Understanding reasons why many at-risk adolescents do not endorse thoughts of death and self-harm should be given high priority,” the researchers conclude. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, youths and young adults make up 15 percent of all suicides, and suicide is the second-leading cause of death among 10-to-24-year-olds.
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James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
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