By Martha A. Simpson, D.O., M.B.A.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

YELLOW RIBBON PROGRAM HELPS PREVENT TEEN SUICIDES

Question: The son of a close family friend killed himself a few months ago, and it is so hard to understand. I would like to know if there is anything that can be done to help prevent suicides among our high-school aged kids. It is so tragic. At that age they are so young and have so much to look forward to.

Answer: This is an excellent question. In fact, one of my colleagues lost a son to suicide several years ago, and the young man’s mother has worked tirelessly ever since on suicide awareness and prevention. Her efforts have been focused through an excellent program run by the Yellow Ribbon International Suicide Prevention Program.

Before I give you more details about this program, here are some basic facts about this problem. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people age fifteen to twenty-four, and the second leading cause of death for college students. A major cause of suicide is a treatable psychiatric illness. In fact, ninety percent of teens who commit suicide have been diagnosed with an psychiatric problem. One of the most common of these is depression.

Yellow Ribbon says there are “warning signs” that can help you spot depression in teenagers. Those signs include: feelings of sadness or hopelessness, feeling angry or moody, crying easily, chronic worrying, difficulty in concentrating, declining school performance, loss of pleasure or interest in activities that used to be fun, sleeping too much or too little, and changes in weight or appetite.

Yellow Ribbon -- sponsored by the Auxiliary to the American Osteopathic Association -- emphasizes the fact that suicide is most often not a wish to die, but a desire to end the pain of living. If teens ask for help and have an opportunity to talk about their feelings, it can lessen this pain. Yellow Ribbon has developed an effective method to encourage teens to take that first step and ask for help.

Yellow Ribbon distributes cards to teenagers that they can use as a “lifeline” to seek adult help when they don’t have words to express their feelings. One of these cards says at the top in big letters “THIS CARD IS A CRY FOR HELP.” It tells the person who receives the card to stay with the teen, because “you are their lifeline.” It asks the recipient to listen, to take the issue seriously and to get help immediately. At the bottom of the card is a help-line phone number.

But, even if you’re not given one of these lifeline cards, there are still ways you can help the teenagers you know. First, remember the warning signs of depression I mentioned earlier. Second, take his or her words and actions seriously. Don’t ignore any talk of suicide, hopelessness or despair. Ask about the teen’s home life. Situational stress such as the death of a parent or abuse can lead to thoughts of suicide. Seek professional help. Remember that depression is treatable both with drugs and counseling.

To educate yourself about teen suicide, log onto www.yellowribbon.org, visit your local library, or look in the phone book for support groups.

Family Medicine® is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to Martha A. Simpson, D.O., M.B.A., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, P.O. Box 110, Athens, Ohio 45701, or via e-mail to readerquestions@familymedicinenews.org. Medical information in this column is provided as an educational service only. It does not replace the judgment of your personal physician, who should be relied on to diagnose and recommend treatment for any medical conditions. Past columns are available online at www.familymedicinenews.org.