Community reaches out to prevent suicide

Suicide has been an ongoing issue in the United States, but last year, according to the  Associated Press, suicide hit its highest rate in 25 years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention branch’s research reveals that for every 100,000 Americans, 12.6 percent of them die from suicide.

Youth are more heavily affected and more prone to committing suicide, as it is the second leading cause of death for those between the ages of 10 to 24 , according to the Jason Foundation, a non-profit organization whose purpose it is to raise awareness and prevention of youth suicide.

With such high percentages and many at risk, communities all over the United States have become aware of the epidemic and attempt to prevent more deaths.

Karine Turdjian, head counselor at Clark Magnet, strongly advocates awareness and prevention of suicide. As a school counselor, she attends school district workshops and presentations regarding ways to handle such situations. “I’ve attended a workshop where they train us on how to react and respond to students who have attempted or contemplate suicide,” she said.

Turdjian was given pamphlets along with packets of lessons and notes about suicide prevention. Within the pamphlet titled “Question Persuade Refer,” by Paul Quinnett, a psychologist and trainer, Turdjian is able to find instructions and helpful tips on how to prevent an attempt.

“These workshops give us many references to detect, observe and handle those who are suicidal, like signs or hotlines that need to be called,” she said. Some warning signs of suicide include suicide threats, previous suicide attempts, alcohol and drug abuse, statements revealing a desire to die, and sudden changes in behavior. “The key thing to do is closely observe someone and see if they reveal any alerting signs,” Turdjian said. “Even the smallest thing can mean a serious issue.”

If a student is brought to the attention of Turdjian, and is in fact suicidal, she, along with other administrators, calls the student in, questions them, listen, and analyzes possible solutions to assist the student. “Question, persuade, and refer,” Turdjian said. “Those are the stages of preventing suicidal attempts.”

Suicidal thoughts can be reported by a teacher, colleague, acquaintance, friend or family member. These are common ways and references to reach in case of suspicious behaviors, but recently, social media has been a more effective way of finding out those who need help.

“I was pulled out of class one day because my school was concerned about something I had posted on my Twitter page,” an anonymous Clark student said. “I didn’t know that the school districts were able to monitor social media accounts, but they found my page and found some of my posts to be suicidal threats.” (Geo Listening, a Hermosa Beach Company, has been monitoring social media accounts of GUSD students since 2013.)

This person claimed that they were under a lot of stress and decided to post emotional tweets that were found inappropriate and alerting, however, were not meant to come off suicidal in any way.

Although many social media accounts offer users privacy settings, the majority of users are either not aware of the private page options or choose to leave their settings as public display. “It does bother me knowing that my school can view my posts since I’m on public, but at the same time, if I had been serious about attempting suicide, then I’d like someone to be aware of my call for help,” the same student said. “I believe there are other people out there who really do mean such posts, and need assistance right away.”

There are many ways one can reach out for help if facing depression or suicidal thoughts. According to LIFE Communications, a National Suicide Prevention Strategy project, communities can play an effective role in preventing suicide.

Some of the tips they offer are providing and ensuring a safe environment; encouraging and supporting positive and supportive relationships within families, friends, neighborhoods, and social and community groups; and having a coordinated crisis response plan and capability that is activated during times of adversity.

Another way is by chatting online at http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ , a website that provides emotional support 24/7.

There is also a National Suicide Prevention Lifeline that can be reached at 1 (800) 273-8255, a hotline that is also free and available 24/7.

Other ways are found regarding personal connections such as talking to a trustworthy friend, family member, and others.

“I encourage people to be open, and I always listen, comfort, and then offer advice and assistance,” Turdjian said. “The most important thing to do is recognize that there are people who are suicidal and need help.”