Adolescents who experience suicide behaviors are not likely to seek help directly; however, parents, schools, and peers can recognize the warning signs and take immediate action to prevent suicide. Since children and adolescents spend a substantial part of their day in schools under the supervision of school staffs. It is expected that the schools play an important role in suicide prevention. There are several suicide and violence prevention programs targeting youth suicide in school system with supportive mental health services. School psychologists and counselors can help reduce the risk of suicide by conducting suicide risk assessments, notifying parents and family, providing recommendations and referrals to community services, and offering follow up counseling and support at school.
Family also plays an important role in suicide prevention. Parents need to be informed and actively involved in the decisions regarding their child’s welfare. Parents are also played a crucial part of suicide risk assessment as they often have the most information of their child’s behavior that can be associated with suicide risk factors, including mental health history, family cohesions, environmental risks, and previous suicidal behaviors. Along with the school personnel, parents should continue to take the threat seriously, participate in the counseling or therapy, maintain communication with the school, and provide support to the youth. It is also important that parents avoid assuming suicidal behaviors as attention seeking.
The potential of risk factors that leads to suicidal ideation and behaviors can be lessened with the presence of positive resiliency factors. These positive resiliency factors can go from positive supporting from family, peers and close social networks, to participating in school and community services, to actively learning coping and problem-solving skills in prevention programs as well as gaining self-esteem, to culturally promoting health living styles, to providing easy access to effective medicals and mental health resources.
Suicide by youths is not only devastated for families and society, but also represent a significant and preventable loss of life. Positive social supports from parents, school, and peers can contribute to the decrease of suicide rates. These interventions can help mitigate the distress associated with negative life events or the triggers that effect the youth’s decisions and behaviors.
by
mstrancious (student)
