Suicide and Depression

1
Suicide and Depression

• Rebecca Mataya
• Clayton Johnson
• Adam Bibbs

2
Why is suicide an important topic?

• Over the past 60 years, the overall rate of
  suicide among 15-24 year olds has tripled, making
  it the the third leading cause of death
• Among college age students (18-24 years), it is
  the second leading cause of death
• The suicide rate peaks among young adults
• One in 7 college students contemplate suicide,
  and one in 12 students make a plan
• Every 2 hours and 2.5 minutes, a person under the
  age of 25 completes suicide

3
Suicide Statistics

• Among 20-24 year olds, for every female who
  completes suicide, 6.2 males complete suicide
• Firearms are the most commonly used method
  accounting for about three out of five completed
  suicides.
• White suicide rates are approximately twice those
  of non-whites
• Risk of attempted(nonfatal) suicide is greatest
  among females
• Females have been found to make 3 to 4 times as
  many attempts as males
• 8 out of 10 individuals who are suicidal often
  display warning signs

4
Why do People Commit Suicide?

• A suicide attempt is a clear indication
  that something is gravely wrong in a persons
  life. It is true that most people who commit
  suicide have a mental or emotional disorder.
• People who kill themselves see this as
  the only remaining solution to their problems.
  People differ in their ability to handle the
  troubles that cause such desperate feelings.
• Some suicides are the result of
  impulsive decisions based on a situation that
  seems hopeless
• Reasons for suicide are not the actual
  causes of suicide, rather they are triggers.

5
Warning Signs

• Emotional, behavioral, physical, and verbal
• Verbal suicide threats
• Expressions of hopelessness and helplessness
• Previous suicide attempts
• Risk-taking behavior
• Personality changes
• Aggressive behavior or frequent expressions of
  rage
• Withdrawal from friends, family, and regular
  activities
• Unusual neglect of personal appearance
• Presence of a psychiatric disorder or a mental
  health condition

6
Types of Depression

• Major Depression- most serious type, do not fell
  suicidal, dont have a history of
  hospitalizations
• Dysthymic- low moderate level of depression,
  persists for 2 years and often longer, symptoms
  not severe as major depression
• Unspecified- this includes people chronic,
  moderate depression, which has not been present
  long enough to diagnosis of a Dysthymic disorder
  
• Adjustment disorder, with Depression- this occurs
  in response to a major life stressor or crisis
• Bipolar Depression- includes both high and low
  mood swings, also a variety of other significant
  symptoms not present in other depressions

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Clinical Depression

• Symptoms
• Persistent sad, anxious, or empty mood
• Sleeping to little or sleeping to much
• Reduced appetite and weight loss, or increase
  appetite and weight gain
• Loss of interest or pleasure in activities once
  enjoyed
• Restlessness or irritability
• Persistent physical symptoms that dont respond
  to treatment such as headaches, chronic pain, or
  constipation and other disorders
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making
  decisions

8
Contd symptoms

• Fatigue or loss energy
• Feeling guilty, hopeless or worthless
• Thoughts of death or suicide
• Clinical depression is one of most treatable of
  all medical illnesses. In fact, more than 80
  percent of people with depression can be treated
  successfully with medication, psychotherapy or a
  combination of both.

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The National Center for Injury Prevention and
Controls 8 Suicide Prevention Strategies

• School Gatekeeper Training
• Community Gatekeeper Training
• General Suicide Education
• Screening Programs
• Peer Support Programs
• Crisis Centers and Hotlines
• Restriction of Access to Lethal Means
• Intervention After a Suicide

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Recommendations for Suicide Programs

• Ensure that suicide prevention programs are
  linked as closely as possible with professional
  mental health resources in the community.
• Avoid reliance on one prevention strategy.
• Incorporate promising, but underused, strategies
  into current programs where ever possible.
• Expand suicide prevention efforts for young
  adults.
• Incorporate evaluation efforts into suicide
  prevention programs.
• ( The effectiveness of suicide prevention
  programs has not been demonstrated. The lack of
  evaluation research is the single greatest
  obstacle to improving current efforts to prevent
  suicide among adolescents and young adults.
  Without evidence to support the potential of a
  program for reducing suicidal behavior,
  recommending one approach over another for any
  given population is difficult.)

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Treatments for Suicide

• Hospitalization
• Treatment at Home
• Antidepressants
• Therapeutic contract for safety
• Anti-anxiety and anti-psychotic agents

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Someone you know

• Stigma associated with depressive illnesses can
  prevent people from getting help. Your
  willingness to talk about depression and suicide
  with a friend, family member, or co-worker can be
  the first step in getting help and preventing
  suicide.
• Never keep a plan for suicide a secret
• Dont try to minimize problems or shame a person
  into changing their mind.

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Where to get help

• Brainerd - St. Josephs Medical Center, 523 N.
  3rd St.Mary Stegora 218-829-25614th Thursday
  each month, 700-830 p.m.
• Burnsville - Mary Mother of the Church, 3333
  Cliff Rd., Rm. 12Toni Wetzel 952-890-01222nd
  Tuesday of each month, 700-830 p.m.
• Coon - Rapids Mercy Hospital, 4050 Coon Rapids
  Blvd.Gail Noller 763-785-8111, ext. 10Mondays,
  7-900 p.m.
• Duluth - St. Marys Medical Center, 407 E. 3rd
  St.Ben Wolfe, Jane Hovland or Mary Alice
  Carlson 217-786-44023rd Monday each month,
  730-900 p.m.
• Edina - Mens Breakfast Group _at_ Pearsons
  Restaurant, 3808 W. 50th St., EdinaLarry Turner
  612-922-5830, Don Sandberg 763-544-73152nd
  Saturday each month, 830 a.m.
• Golden Valley Oak Grove Church, 5920 Golden
  Valley RoadMary Sodergren 763-682-9073, Bev
  Chipman 763-323-3178 1st 3rd Tuesday each
  month, 700-830 p.m.
• Mankato - Immanual St. Josephs-Mayo Health
  System, 360 Pierce Plaza, Rm. 372Tom or Marilyn
  Tiggelaar 507-387-63702nd 4th Tuesday each
  month, 700 p.m.

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Where to get help

• Minneapolis - Lutheran Church of Christ the
  Redeemer, 5440 Penn Ave. S., Larry Turner
  612-922-5830, JoAnne Dunstan 952-944-2478, Faye
  Bland2nd 4th Tuesday each month, 700-900
  p.m.
• New Prague - The Catholic Workman Building, 1201
  1st St. NESally Schmid 952-758-47354th Tuesday
  each month, 700 p.m.
• Princeton - Fairview Northland Hospital, 919
  Northland Dr.Lisa Dentz 320-493-8518Every
  Monday, 700-830 p.m.
• Rochester Evangel United Methodist Church, 2645
  N. Broadway, Rm. 221Nancy Clarey 507-281-5588,
  Cally Vinz 507-287-82673rd Thursday each month,
  700 p.m.
• Sauk Rapids - Suicide Loss Support Group, 201 2nd
  Ave. N.Roxann Storms 320-529-04272nd 4th
  Tuesday each month, 700-830 p.m.
• Center for Grief - 1133 Grand Ave., St. Paul -
  651-641-0177 Grief therapy for individuals and
  families and consultation and critical
  incidentresponse for schools, organizations and
  businesses.

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Group DiscussionQuestions

• Why do men commit suicide more often than women
  do?
• Is suicide related to impulsiveness?
• Is there such things as rational suicide?
• How does depression increase the risk for
  suicide?
• Is it possible to predict suicide?

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Precede/Proceed

• Assignment
• Write a 2-3 page paper applying this model to a
  suicide intervention in the St. Peter area.
  Include all the stages in detail.