07.Depression and Suicide

07.1.What Are Signs of Depression?

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in people ages 10-24 years.Research shows that more than 95 percent of people who kill themselves havedepression or another diagnosable mental or substance abuse disorder, often incombination with other mental disorders. It's important to treat depressionearly to help prevent a mental health crisis. If a child has symptoms ofdepression, lasting almost every day for two weeks or more, he or she needs tobe evaluated.

 07.2.Risk Factors for Suicide

Depression is not the only risk factor for suicide. There are someexperiences in a child’s life that may put them at higher risk. Although someof these risk factors cannot be changed, it is important to be aware that theycan increase the possibility of a suicide attempt. Some of the leading factorsthat increase the risk of suicide among children and teens are:

 Family history of depression or suicide

Psychological disorder, especially depression, bipolar disorder and / oralcohol and drug abuse disorder

Previous suicidal attempt

Access to a firearm

Stressful life events or loss and a lack of family support

Serious medical condition and / or pain

Sexual identity concerns

History of abuse or being severely bullied

 07.3.Signs and Symptoms of Depression

The behavior of depressed children and teenagers may differ from thebehavior of depressed adults. Child and adolescent psychiatrists advise parentsto be aware of signs of depression in their children.

 If one or more of these signs of depression persist, parents should seekhelp:

 Frequent sadness, tearfulness, crying

Hopelessness

Decreased interest in activities or inability to enjoy previously favoriteactivities

Persistent boredom or low energy

Withdrawal from friends or family

Low self-esteem and guilt

Increased irritability, anger or hostility

Trouble with relationships

Frequent complaints of physical illnesses such as headaches or stomachaches

Frequent absences from school or poor performance in school

Poor concentration

A major change in eating and / or sleeping patterns

Talk of or efforts to run away from home

Anxiety

Some signs that a child or teen is considering suicide may include:

 Giving away or selling valuable or cherished possessions

Talking or joking about committing suicide

Saying things like, “I’d be better off dead, “or “I wish I could disappearforever”

Saying goodbye to friends and family as if for the last time

Writing stories and poems or posting writings online about death, dying orsuicide

 07.4.Protective Factors

Some things in life may help protect a person from suicidal thoughts orattempts:

 Connection to community

Support from friends and family

Spiritual beliefs that value life and discourage suicide

Access to medical care and treatment

Problem-solving skills

Healthy lifestyle habits (no substance abuse)

 07.5.Preventive Action

If parents or another adult in a young person's life suspect a problemwith depression, they should:

 Be aware − While rare in young children, suicide is possible. Know thewarning signs and risk factors that may increase your child's risk of suicide.

Talk to your child − Talking about suicide will not give your child theidea to attempt suicide. If a friend or other loved has died, committed suicideor is extremely ill, talk to your child about it and address her feelings.

Tell others − If your child exhibits suicidal thoughts or behaviors, tellyour child's other caretakers and faculty members at her school so they canclosely monitor your child when you are not around.

Keep weapons locked up − Common sense tells you to keep weapons,medications, alcohol, and poisons safely away from children, but this isespecially important for children at risk for suicide.

Get your child treatment − If your child is depressed, at high risk fordepression or other mental illness, it is essential to get her treatment.

Educate yourself − Get accurate information from libraries, help lines andother sources. Join a family support group.

07.6.Resources

A visit to a family physician or pediatrician may be the first step However,if you think that your child is in crisis and has had a previous suicideattempt, is threatening to harm herself, or you just have a "gutfeeling," get your child help immediately. Do not wait to take your childto a pediatric emergency room.

Having a child who is depressed or is suicidal does not make you a badparent or mean that you did anything to cause his/her pain. The best thing youcan do is to get your child help and support her in her recovery.

07.7.Supporting a Teen Through Depression Treatment

Let him or her know that you’re there to listen and offer support. Nowmore than ever, your teenager needs to know that he or she is valued, accepted,and cared for.

Encourage physical activity. Encourage your teenager to stay active.Exercise can go a long way toward relieving the symptoms of depression, so findways to incorporate it into your teenager’s day.

Encourage social activity. Isolation only makes depression worse, soencourage your teenager to see friends and praise efforts to socialize. Offerto take your teen out with friends or suggest social activities that might beof interest, such as sports, after-school clubs, or an art class.

Stay involved in treatment. Make sure your teenager is following alltreatment instructions and going to therapy. It’s especially important thatyour child takes any prescribed medication as instructed.

Learn about depression. The more you know, the better equipped you’ll beto help your depressed teen.

07.8.Taking Care of the Whole Family when One Child is Depressed

As a parent dealing with teen depression, you may find yourself focusingall your energy and attention on your depressed child. Meanwhile, you may beneglecting your own needs and the needs of other family members. While helpingyour depressed child should be a top priority, it’s important to keep yourwhole family strong and healthy during this difficult time.

 Take care of yourself – In order to help a depressed teen, you need tostay healthy and positive yourself, so don’t ignore your own needs.

Reach out for support – Get the emotional support you need. Reach out tofriends, join a support group, or see a therapist of your own.

Be open with the family – Don’t tiptoe around the issue of teen depressionin an attempt to “protect” the other children. Kids know when something iswrong. Be open about what is going on and invite your children to ask questionsand share their feelings.

Remember the siblings – Depression in one child can cause stress oranxiety in other family members, so make sure “healthy” children are notignored. Siblings may need special individual attention or professional help oftheir own to handle their feelings about the situation.