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Risk Factors

  • Mental health condition
  • Prior suicide attempt
  • Access to firearms or medications
  • Family history of suicide
  • Loss of loved one or significant relationship

Warning Signs

  • Threatening suicide
  • Looking for guns, medications or other lethal means of self harm
  • Talking, writing, drawing about death or dying

Look for risk factors & warning signs

in this case study:

Anyone describing Alexandra would say she was brilliant, beautiful, gifted and good-natured. Her parents love her and are very supportive as is her close circle of friends. As a senior in high school, her future looks promising.

But two years ago in January, she plunged into a terrible depression. The funk lasted almost until September. The fall went well, but by winter she was feeling depressed again, helpless and hopeless for no apparent reason. Even though they put her on medication, she hated the way it made her feel and stopped taking it.

Now she finds herself getting angry, even hostile, without provocation. She just can't keep up with the flute lessons and modern dance classes like she used to. The only thing she enjoys is her art work – a great late night preoccupation when she's too restless to sleep.

Her psychiatrist would probably freak if he saw her paintings: self-portraits with distorted, elongated faces and tortured expressions. He must be totally frustrated with her anyway. Her parents probably are too. She knows people care about her but maybe they'd be better off without her.

Risk Factors:

  • Mental Health Condition
  • Trouble Sleeping
  • Not Taking Medication

Warning Signs:

  • Dropping Out of Activities
  • Drawing about Death
  • Feeling People are Better Off Without Her

Fast Facts

  • Over 33,000 suicides in the U.S. annually
  • There is one suicide every 16 minutes
  • There are 4 male suicides for each female suicide
  • Twice as many females attempt suicide as males
  • Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth aged 11 - 23
  • Firearms are the most common means of suicide in Vermont

Show you care

  • Listen
  • Be supportive
  • Be honest & direct
  • Be positive & reassuring
  • Acknowledge the person's pain

Ask about suicide

  • Are you thinking of hurting yourself?
  • Are you thinking life's not worth living?
  • Do you have thoughts of killing yourself?

Get help

  • Who do you trust that you'd like to talk to?
  • You are not alone. Help is available.
  • Can I go with you to get some help?

Offer hope

  • Help them understand that their life has purpose and meaning
  • I'm sure there are people who need you and count on you.
  • As bad as you feel, there are other solutions to help you feel better.
  • Maybe you can't see it now but you do have a place in the big picture.

Remember...

  • Never leave a suicidal person alone.
  • Do not leave the person with access to firearms, medications, alcohol, or drugs that they might use to hurt themselves.
  • If you are offering hope, be authentic.

Protective Factors

Health: physical, mental, emotional

Safety: home, school, community

Relationships: positive, loving, supportive

Competence: intellectual, social, physical

Life Skills: decision-making, problem-solving

Control: autonomy, empowerment, boundaries

Connection: life meaning, purpose

Asset Building

  • Support
  • Empowerment
  • Boundaries & expectations
  • Constructive use of time
  • Commitment to learning
  • Positive values
  • Social competence
  • Positive identity

Resilience

The ability to bounce back from adversity

Umatter

Language

Model Language that Educates

Please Use:

  • Died by suicide
  • Took her (his) own life
  • Killed himself (herself)
  • Suicide attempt
  • Suicide survivor

Please Avoid:

  • Committed suicide
  • Successful suicide
  • Completed suicide
  • Failed attempt

Links

Building Resilience

Hotline Services

Mental Health Services

Mental Health

Survivors

Young Adults

You can make a difference.

Recognize the warning signs of suicide.

Be supportive and know when to get help.

Help

Understand

Umatter You Can Help

Adult Web Site

  • How to Help
  • Training Opportunities
  • Resources

www.UmatterUCanHelp.com

Youth Web Site

  • When to Get Help
  • Resilience Quiz
  • Videos

www.UmatterUCanGetHelp.com

People who are resilient have...

Suicide Prevention

Active Minds on Campus

www.activeminds.org

People Prevent Suicide

www.peoplepreventsuicide.org

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

www.afsp.org

Suicide Prevention Resource Center

www.sprc.org

@

Youth

External Assets

Internal Assets

Fierce Goodbye

www.fiercegoodbye.com

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

www.afspvermont.org

Lifeline Gallery

www.lifeline-gallery.org

Search Institute

www.search-institute.org

Mental Health America

www.nmha.org

National Alliance for Mental Illness - Vermont

www.namivt.org

What a Difference a Friend Makes

www.whatadifference.org

Live Your Life Well

www.liveyourlifewell.org

Vermont 2-1-1

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

1-800-273-TALK

Find Mental Health services in Vermont

http://mentalhealth.vermont.gov

  • Feelings of competence
  • A belief one can manage feelings
  • Positive social relationships
  • Impulse control
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Conflict-resolution skills
  • A healthy lifestyle
  • Goals, dreams, a sense of purpose
  • Life-affirming spiritual or cultural beliefs
  • A sense of humor
  • A positive outlook
  • Comfort with ambiguity
  • Tolerance for differences in people

Resources

Support

www.HealthandLearning.org

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