Guidance and Information for Teachers and Lecturers

More documents

Info

10. 11. 12. 13. 14. Suicide is inherited or runs in the family. Suicide is an individual problem but risk factors can include a family history of suicide and other health and behavioural health issues that may or may not put a person at risk for suicide. Other individual and family lifestyle issues can also be risk factors for suicide including the use of drugs and alcohol. All suicidal individuals are mentally ill and suicide always is the act of a psychotic person. All suicidal individuals are not necessarily mentally ill, nor is suicide always the act of a psychotic person. Many people who attempt or complete suicide may have symptoms of mental illness, the most common symptom being some form of depression. (Most depression is treatable and temporary in nature). Some studies do indicate that between 40 and 60 percent of people who died by suicide were at the time experiencing an episode of depression. The incidence of suicide among the poor and deprived is substantially higher than among the advantaged. Suicide is quite democratic. It is neither the poor man's curse nor the rich man's disease, but is represented proportionately among all levels of society based on advantage or disadvantage. At least half of all people who complete suicide leave notes explaining their action. Studies have showed that only approximately 15 to 20 percent of those who complete suicide leave any type of note, and not all notes provide explanations of the person’s actions. One of the difficult realities many survivors of suicide (family members and significant others left behind) must come to terms with in many cases, is the fact that they will never really know why someone completed suicide. The elderly have the highest rate of suicide for any age group. For many people, their so called golden years are anything but golden. Age inevitably brings with it certain losses. Friends and relatives die, careers come to a close, and physical health begins to fail. It can be a difficult and even depressing time of life - a time when many are at heightened risk for suicide. FALSE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE 12
WHAT SHOULD I BE WATCHING FOR? Teachers are in the unique position to observe students individually or in groups, to sense the emotions seething under the surface, and to monitor subtle changes in behaviour, and to realise that the student in reality might be a hurting human being. It is possible for teachers, through no fault of their own, to misinterpret a warning sign of suicide or to not even be aware of it. This can be said of the most caring of persons. We were not born with intuitive knowledge. Along with everyone else, we must be trained to discern the messages and signals that our students are sending out. Someone might ask, “Won’t I appear foolish if I misread the signal and get involved in a non-suicidal situation?” That is possible; but if we need to appear foolish to possibly save a life, then it is better than to suffer self-recrimination for doing nothing. The risk of a student dying is more serious than the possible risk of being embarrassed for asking the “wrong” question. If a teacher does raise the question of suicide needlessly, the only reaction possible is a positive one - “This teacher cares.” The lesson that follows is designed to help teachers as well as students become aware of the hidden messages that are silently coming our way from someone in crisis who may well be planning on ending his or her life. Some of the underlying causes of youth suicide and self-harm Much work has been done to try to clarify the reasons why young people kill themselves. We know that young people who are depressed are more likely to go on to complete suicide, but it is important to state that it is still only a relatively small percentage. It is also the case that drug and alcohol misuse is certainly more common in those who die by suicide. Drugs and alcohol tend to have a two-fold effect. The first is that they, in time, act as a depressant, making low mood more likely. The second is that they tend to decrease inhibitions, and therefore remove the internal controls whereby one prevents oneself from engaging in self-harm or suicide. It is also important to be aware that drug and alcohol misuse can be a marker, in any young person, for increasing levels of unhappiness or distress. It is not unusual for those who are unhappy to turn to drugs or alcohol to give themselves a lift, but, as has been mentioned, the effect is short lived and is replaced by a further deterioration in mood. When young people self-harm, they give a variety of reasons, but certain themes quickly emerge. The most common of these is the break-up of a relationship, or other peer difficulties. Another common situation is difficulties at home within the family, and such difficulties can either be of longstanding duration or acute. Less frequently young people describe a build-up of pressure, either academic or otherwise, which generally leads to mounting levels of tension and stress and a feeling that a young person cannot cope. If this happens in the context of a personality which is somewhat perfectionistic and rigid in nature, where a young person does not allow themselves the option of “failure”, the result can be catastrophic because a young person’s problem-solving competence in such situations becomes significantly impaired, as does their list of possible remedies. This issue of problem-solving difficulties is a recurrent one in young people because in many cases of self-harm a young person’s ability to generate an alternative solution is defective. This happens for a variety of reasons. 13
Page 1 and 2: YOUTH SUICIDE AWARENESS & PREVENTIO
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTS Introduction .............
Page 5 and 6: In talking to teachers informally,
Page 7 and 8: The programme emphasises: the impor
Page 9 and 10: 6 Is it true that people who attemp
Page 11: 3. 4. 5. 6. Women attempt suicide m
Page 15 and 16: These include abusive messages, spr
Page 17 and 18: While most cases of depression are
Page 19 and 20: Teen specific warning signs Talking
Page 21 and 22: 1. 2. LACK OF COMMUNICATION AND LAC
Page 23 and 24: Listening In a situation where an a
Page 25 and 26: Providing students with coping skil
Page 27 and 28: Active Listening "Active Listening"
Page 29 and 30: IF YOU CANNOT HELP A STUDENT So wha
Page 31 and 32: SUMMARY It is important to remember

Guidance and Information for Teachers and Lecturers

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?