Suicide remains second leading cause of death for adolescents by Meghan Mangrum
Signs and backpacks were scattered across the ground at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to bring awareness to #mentalhealthissues on Thursday, March 22, 2018 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Some backpacks included belongings of #suicide victims and some contained letters with information about those college students.
#Suicide remains the second leading cause of death nationally for 10- to 24-year-olds, and local #mentalhealth experts want to remind educators, parents and community members what to look for and how to support children who are struggling.
For children aged 10-14, the #suicide rate tripled from 2007-2017, according to the U.S. #CentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention’s National Center for Health Statistics’ most recent data brief. In 2017, 51 suicides by children aged 10-17 were reported in Tennessee.
The rise in #suicide deaths comes after a pattern of decline more than a decade ago.
#JamesDonaldson 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
From 2000-2007, #suicide rates dropped for children aged 10-14 and remained stable for those aged 10-24, but since 2007 have increased more than 56%, according to the CDC data brief.
#Mentalhealthproviders, as well as Hamilton County Schools officials, recognize the increase is a cause for concern.
Experts caution parents to pay attention to signs that children are struggling
As the local community mourned the child’s death, experts weighed in on the role of counselors in schools and how to talk to children about #suicide.
They cautioned that if parents notice any significant changes in their child’s personality or behavior — including increased fatigue or trouble sleeping, changes in appetite, difficulty concentrating, withdrawing from their friends or a change in peer groups, isolating themselves, persistent complaints about how they feel such as headaches or stomach aches — they should seek expert advice.
Many recommend first visiting a child’s primary care physician or pediatrician, especially if these warning signs have persisted for several weeks, but many #mentalhealthproviders and community #mentalhealth centers can take referrals from doctors, schools or even schedule a first appointment with parents themselves to discuss concerns.
And it’s never too early to look for signs.
“Individuals who are making #suicide attempts and are succeeding and committing #suicide are getting younger and younger,” said Gayle Lodato, senior director of Greater Chattanooga Services for the Helen Ross McNabb Center.
Environmental factors play a big role in emotional, behavioral issues
The CDC report does not analyze causes for increases in suicides, but some #mentalhealth experts acknowledge the effects technology, #socialmedia and the digital age have had on children, especially when it comes to bullying or even accessing information about #suicide or self-harm.
“It used to be that you had to deal with it during the school day and then you could get away from it,” Lodato said. “Now we are constantly connected. Kids feel overwhelmed very quickly, and if they don’t have someone to talk to or don’t feel comfortable talking to adults or their caregivers, then they are left struggling by themselves with these very big, very real feelings.”
Jucinta Rome, a licensed clinical social worker for Erlanger Behavioral Health, has worked with adults and children as young as 3 years old in Chattanooga for more than a decade. She agrees that bullying is often a contributor to potential #mentalhealthissues in children, but she doesn’t think children are particularly meaner than they have been in the past.
“We have this huge issue now with bullying that has taken on a different dynamic with #socialmedia that has really contributed to #mentalhealthissues. Technology has created a way for it to be more secretive,” Rome said. “The research is also showing that time that young people are spending on #socialmedia really tends to isolate them from the normal interactions.”
Trauma or adverse childhood experiences, genetics, both physical and sexual abuse, neglect, being separated from their parents or placed into foster care and other environmental factors also equally contribute to emotional and behavioral issues in children.
Genetics and generational trauma can also play a role, Rome said. Research shows trauma and #mentalhealthissues can be passed down through generations.
But even if a child has experienced trauma or is at high-risk due to their experiences, Rome said, there is hope.
“The research has shown that even when a child has experienced a traumatic event, if they have solid, nurturing relationships and a support system, they never need to step in a counseling office,” she said.
Rome has made it her mission to “emphasize [to] people that relationships are so important with children.”
“If our school system would focus on relationships, I think we would see some improvements in the behavioral issues and also the emotional issues that our children are facing,” she said.
The role of schools in addressing #mentalhealth needs
Hamilton County school board member Tiffanie Robinson, of District 4, spoke at a recent Hamilton County Commission meeting about the need for government officials to come together to work through challenges in the community.
“How did we get to this point that fourth graders feel like they need to take their own life?” Robinson said during the public comment period at the Oct. 23 commission meeting. “We have real problems in this community, there are parts of our community that are sick and we’ve got to figure out how to heal them.”
Superintendent Bryan Johnson has been pushing for additional funding for student supports including school counselors and social workers. As of January 2019, the ratio of counselors to students in the district’s elementary schools was 1 to 612 — well above the 1 to 250 that the American School Counselor Association recommends.
Centerstone, a community #mentalhealth center, provides many of the school-based counselors in Hamilton County and partners with more than 20 counties across the state.
Access remains a barrier to seeking treatment for adults and families, even after they’ve overcome the #stigma of #mentalillness or seeking therapy, but placing counselors in the school building can help alleviate those barriers, said Beth Hail, a licensed clinical social worker and regional vice president for Centerstone.
“Whatever is going on with [all age groups] often is impacting their school performance. If they are dealing with something at home, often they might have trouble focusing, aren’t doing well on tests, are isolated from other students or they’re having trouble with a peer group,” she said. “When we are in schools, there are times we are able to adjust our schedules pretty quickly and we might be able to get to them and address it within a few hours.”
School staff and teachers are important to identifying #mentalhealth needs, and “they have a tough job and a vital one,” Hail said.
“They are trained to educate, but they’re really the eyes and ears, because they are with kids all day, they see them longer than their parents do. They kind of have to be in tune with something that might not be right with this child, but they have a whole classroom of children,” she said. “So that’s where they need additional supports.”
Rome echoed Hail — she believes schools can have a powerful impact on students.
“That’s where kids are on a daily basis and [they] are able to have adults in their lives that generally care about them and generally are concerned about them,” she said.
She also recommends schools focus more on recognizing emotional or behavioral concerns and addressing them from a non-judgmental mindset of seeking solutions, than from a punitive one that seeks to discipline what is deemed bad behavior.
“Come with more of a curious mindset,” she said. “People just don’t know the experiences that children have had in their lives there’s most likely something going on.”
“You can’t educate a child who is struggling emotionally, we just have to be more supportive as a community,” Rome said. “These are needs. They really are needs. They are becoming more prominent, and we have to recognize and accept that. It’s just something we have to recognize and treat it and support it and prevent it.”
Contact Meghan Mangrum at [email protected] or 423-757-6592. Follow her on Twitter @memangrum.
If you are having thoughts of #suicide, call the #NationalSuicidePreventionLifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK), or the line is available in Spanish at 1-888-628-9454. You can find a list of additional resources at SpeakingOf Suicide.com/resources.
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:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
[email protected]
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
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 [email protected] 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
