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Suicide Prevention in Ohio Schools
By Melissa Martin, Ph.D.
According to Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation, suicide is now the
second-leading cause of death among tweens and teens, and young African
Americans have the fastest-growing suicide rate in the state. Visit
www.ohiospf.org.
Suicide was the leading cause of death for children ages 10 to 14 in
Ohio in 2019, according to a report from the Ohio Department of Health
about suicide in Ohio.
Ohio Dept. of Education and Teen Suicide
The following is an excerpt from ODE’s website:
Q. Teen suicide rates have been steadily increasing since 2007. Why the rise and how much of a role does social media play?
A. That is the million dollar question. The unfortunate reality is that
we don’t have one direct reason we can point to for the increased rates
of youth suicide. There is research out there looking at the link
between social media and suicide, and bullying and suicide. We do know
that youth who spend more time on social media report higher levels of
depression. But even at that level, it is just a link. Same with
bullying and suicide. Youth do have a lot more pressures today. There
are concerns regarding the expectations for youth to succeed in terms
of grade-point averages even above 4.0. There are concerns as far as
expectations for youth to be in a million different activities. Is all
that contributing to it as well, because they are not learning how to
manage all the stress that is present in their lives? There is also
some theorizing going on as to whether or not there is increased
acceptance of suicide in our youth that wasn’t there before. Are they
seeing it as a more acceptable action than they used to?
The experts at the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation say while teens
are known for being moody, we (as parents, teachers and other important
people in the lives of youth) must learn the warning signs of suicide
so that we are aware when it may be something more. The major warning
signs for suicide include: threatening to hurt or kill oneself, seeking
a means to kill oneself, hopelessness, increasing alcohol or drug use,
dramatic mood changes. These warning signs indicate that someone may be
at immediate risk for suicide and you should seek help without delay.
www.education.ohio.gov.
The Ohio School Board Association lists the following resources: After
a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools; Suicide Prevention Crisis Tips Fact
Sheet; Helping your school prevent youth suicide presentation slides.
In an effort to combat youth suicides, the Ohio House of
Representatives voted in 2019 to pass a bill (HB 123) that would
require school districts to assist students in need of support. If the
measure is signed into law, districts would have to establish a
threat-assessment team and contract with an anonymous reporting system
that operates 24-7. Students, parents and staff would be able to send
in safety tips and report the data to state officials, who already
operate a free tip-line service available to all districts. School
districts would also be required to train employees and teach students
in sixth through 12th grades social inclusion, violence prevention and
how to identify the signs of depression, suicide and self-harm.
Districts would be required to designate a student-led group at each
school to focus on suicide awareness, violence prevention and social
inclusion. HB 123 currently stands in the Senate committee.
What is the Role of Schools in Suicide Prevention?
Children and teens spend significant time at school Monday through
Friday. They spend time with coaches during sporting practices and
events. They spend time with school staff during extracurricular
activities.
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention wants states to require
regular suicide prevention training for teachers and other school
personnel who interact regularly with students so that they may assist
vulnerable youth in accessing the services they need. Training school
personnel to understand suicide risk builds the skills needed to know
when and how to refer students to an appropriate health or mental
health professional.
One study, published in the 2011 journal School Mental Health, examined
teacher roles in the implementation of a district-wide suicide
prevention program through focus groups and interviews with middle
school teachers, administrators, and other school personnel. Study
results highlighted teachers’ critical role in detecting students at
risk for suicide. Factors that appeared to facilitate teacher
participation in the suicide prevention program included well-defined
crisis policies and procedures, communication of these procedures,
collaboration across staff, and the presence of on-campus mental health
resources. Participants identified a need for direct teacher training
on risk factors for suicide, crisis response, and classroom management.
Other strategies for improving suicide prevention efforts included
in-school trainings on mental health resources and procedures, regular
updates to these trainings, and greater visibility of mental health
staff.
I am in favor of school-based suicide prevention and education programs
in Ohio schools. However, schools need to receive annually funding for
these programs. And schools need funding to hire more mental health
therapists and school counselors to address suicide prevention and
intervention.
Melissa Martin, Ph.D. is an author, columnist, educator, and therapist. She lives in Southern Ohio.
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