VHCS event provides resources, information on suicide prevention

A small group gathered in the Vestavia Hills Board of Education boardroom Thursday night to talk about a big issue — suicide.

During the Vestavia Hills City Schools event, representatives from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention provided information regarding teen depression and suicide risk factors as well as resources for opening up a dialogue and getting help.

Ashley Foster, the area director for AFSP’s Alabama and Mississippi chapters, started the presentation by providing statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on suicide and suicide attempts. In 2015, she said, there were 44,193 reported suicide deaths, with 5,900 of those individuals being between 15 and 24 years old.

“Which works out to suicide being the second leading cause of death for youths aging 15-24,” Foster said, “with the first being unintentional injuries, primarily car accidents.”

For every suicide death, she added, there are 100-200 individuals who make an attempt. The highest rates of suicide are among middle aged individuals, according to the statistics, and that age group has also seen the largest spike in number of suicides.

Despite what people may think has been a spike in teen or youth suicide rates, Foster said those numbers have not spiked.

“A lot of people think the youth rates are ‘skyrocketing,’ but they haven’t actually gone up that much in the past 15 years. I think people are just talking about it more and raising more awareness,” Foster said.

In addition to statistics, Foster and Marissa Grayson, a member of the AFSP Alabama Chapter’s Board of Directors, presented several video resources regarding depression, suicide risk and resources.

About 9 out of 10 individuals who die by suicide had a diagnosable and treatable mental illness, Grayson said, which is one reason it is important to look for signs of depression or other mental illness and to seek help.

“Ninety percent means if people are willing to get that treatment, hopefully we can save lives,” Grayson said.

In a video featuring AFSP Chief Medical Officer Dr. Christine Moutier, she discussed underlying risk factors for suicide, which can fall into the categories of biological (such as mental illness), psychological (certain personality traits) and past history (past traumas or a past suicide attempt).

“For individuals who have some of those underlying risk factors, those stressors that they’re facing in their current day life can absolutely precipitate a crisis,” Moutier said, in the video.

The video also emphasized recognizing the warning sides for suicide, such as changes in behavior, weight change, becoming agitated or easily angered and other signs. By recognizing these signs, an individual is more likely to get the help they need.

Some signs of depression, a risk factor for suicide, can be sleeping a lot or not enough, not having much energy and feeling more irritable or angry than usual. In teenagers, Grayson said, sometimes these can be mistaken for “typical teen mood swings,” laziness or an attitude. While for some teens, this behavior is normal, Grayson said it is important to acknowledge when it is not.

“One of the things we encourage people to think about is to recognize changes,” Grayson said. “Some of these may be typical things, but when you notice changes in behavior, like mood swings happening, it’s worth opening up a conversation.”

A video shown during the presentation, entitled “More than Sad,” followed four teens who exhibited signs of depression and sought help. The goal of the video, which is shown to high school students, is to show that depression is common, it is an illness — not a weakness, and it can happen to anyone, Grayson said.

The video also included treatment options, discussing psychotherapy, medication and other habits such as exercise and controlled breathing, as ways to manage depression and anxiety. There is no single treatment that will work for every person, Grayson said, so it is important to find the right mental health professional, to keep that individual informed and to be patient with your child, if they receive treatment through therapy.

And if the conversation approaches suicide, Foster said, it is important to take that seriously. Contrary to a myth many believe, she said, discussing suicide does not increase the risk of suicide. This includes directly asking if a child has had thoughts of suicide.

“If you feel like they’re struggling … trust your gut,” Foster said. “Assume you’re the only one who is going to reach out.”

It is important to not wait to ask, and to be calm and prepared to listen to your child, Foster said. Reassuring them that help is available and that you will help them get whatever help they need, she continued, is also important.

Talking directly about suicide tells an individual that you notice, care and will get help, Foster said, and helps break down part of the stigma related to it.

“I feel like our general population is moving in the right direction. We’re more open, we’re talking about it, but we’ve still got a ways to go. It’s really our duty as community members, as parents, as teachers, to continue to open that dialogue about mental health and to take the shame away about it,” Foster said. “Because talking about it is really the thing that’s going to save lives.”

For more information about the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention as well as resources, go to afsp.org or afsp.org/Alabama.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK (8255). To text with a trained crisis counselor from the Crisis Text Line, text TALK to 741741.