We often hear about suicidal college students, but suicide and suicide attempts are growing problems among younger kids as well. High school and middle school children, particularly boys who live in homes with guns, are killing themselves at alarming and increasing rates. Consider the following facts, gleaned from the National Institute of Mental Health, The Jed Foundation and Ulifeline.org:

• Suicide rates for those between the ages of 10-14 increased 99% between 1980 and 1997. This age group has shown a small decline in the past two years. For 2001, the rate is 1.5 per 100,000.

• In the 10 to 14 age group, white youths (ranked 3rd leading cause of death) were far more likely to complete suicide than black youths (ranked 7th leading cause of death). White males between 10 and 14 years of age were three times more likely to complete suicide than females of the same age.

• In 2001, there were 272 suicides in the U.S among children ages 10 to 14.

• Most adolescent suicides occur after school hours and in the teen’s home.

• Within a typical high school classroom, it is likely that three students (one boy and two girls) have made a suicide attempt in the past year.

• The typical profile of an adolescent nonfatal suicide attempter is a female who ingests pills, while the profile of the typical completer suicide is a male who dies from a gunshot wound.

• Not all adolescent attempters admit their intent. Deliberate self-harming behaviors should be considered serious and in need of further evaluation.

• Most adolescent suicide attempts are precipitated by interpersonal conflicts. The intent of the behavior appears to be to effect change in the behaviors or attitudes of others.

• Repeat attempters (those making more than one nonlethal attempt) generally use their behavior as a means of coping with stress and tend to exhibit more chronic symptoms, poor coping histories, and a higher presence of suicide and substance abuse in their families.

• Many teens display one or more of the signs identified below. If observed, seek professional help:

• Presence of a psychiatric or social disorder (depression, drug or alcohol abuse in home, behavior problems, runs away, has been incarcerated)
• The expression/communication of thoughts of suicide, death, dying or the afterlife (in a context of sadness, boredom, hopelessness or negative feelings)
• Impulsive and aggressive behavior; frequent expressions of rage
• Use of alcohol or drugs
• Exposure to another’s suicidal behavior
• Recent severe stressor (difficulty dealing with sexual orientation; unplanned pregnancy, significant real or anticipated loss, family violence, etc.)
• Family instability; significant family conflict

If you encounter a young person whose situation is mirrored in the above facts, act now. Reach out. Offer help. You may save a life.

Suicide.

Hear the word. Hear the comments.

They’re almost automatic.

“Such a selfish thing to do.”…”Don’t they realize what they’re doing to their families?”…”It’s the ultimate sin!”…and on…and on…and on…

As the mother of two young adults who have each attempted suicide in times of severe illness, I understand what compelled them, what prompted their actions. In it’s continuing series on mental illness, Canada’s Globe and Mail published a stark and honest account of one man’s struggle with suicidal thoughts that would not go away. An excerpt of the story written by Erin Anderssen appears below. To read the article in it’s entirety, follow the link.

“It is always there, like a song he can’t stop humming. It plays in the background when he graduates from law school. When he hears “not guilty” in court. When he cheers his son William to victory in the big hockey game or hugs his daughter Sarah for winning the Grade 3 spelling bee. He left Toronto because standing on the subway platform cranked the volume. He tried to shock it out of his brain. For a time, Star Trek episodes muffled it. Drugs, at best, only dull it.

In nearly every moment of his life, Peter O’Neill thinks about killing himself. Sometimes, he makes plans. He buys rope. He sets a date. Mostly though, he is trapped between wanting to die and trying to live, while the same scenes run on a loop in his mind: a noose dangling in shadow, or his body hanging from a rope.

It has slowly drowned out nearly everything else - his marriage, his career, his family.”

Read the rest of Peter’s story at globeandmail.com

Read more on the topic of suicide. The more we understand it, the better equipped we are to prevent it.

Learn more about bipolar disorder and listen to this informative and candid interview.

Click on either of the above photos to view a 42 minute episode of “Footnote,” a weekly book talk show.

Borderline Personality Disorder, Mood Disorders & Anxiety Linked through Structure and Function

Borderline Personality Disorder , as explained in Wikipedia, “is a psychiatric diagnosis describing a prolonged disturbance of personality function characterized by depth and variability of moods. BPD typically involves unusual levels of instability in mood; “black and white” thinking; chaotic and unstable interpersonal relationships, self-image, identity, and behavior; as well as a disturbance in the individual’s sense of self. In extreme cases, this disturbance in the sense of self can lead to periods of dissociation. These disturbances can have a pervasive negative impact on many or all of the psychosocial facets of life. This includes difficulties maintaining relationships in work, home, and social settings. Attempted suicide and completed suicide are possible outcomes, especially without proper care and effective therapy. Onset of symptoms typically occurs during adolescence or young adulthood. Symptoms may persist for several years, but the majority of symptoms lessen in severity over time, with some individuals fully recovering. The mainstay of treatment is various forms of psychotherapy, although medication and other approaches may also improve symptoms.”

Michael Minzenberg, M.D., of the University of California, Davis, and NIMH grantees Antonia S. New, M.D., and Larry J. Siever, M.D., of Mount Sinai School of Medicine reviewed MRI images of patients diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, and found that they experience differences in the working tissue of the brain, called grey matter.

According to the groups research, people with BPD had more than the average amount of gray matter in a fear hub found deep in the human brain. On images, this area over-activated when the patients viewed scary faces.

Interestingly, these same patients had less gray matter and less activity in the hub’s regulator near the front of the brain. These deficiencies effectively removed the normally built-in controls for a runaway fear response, leading to overreaction.

These imaging studies conducted by Minzenberg, New, and Siever are the first to link structural brain differences with functional impairment in the same sample of BPD patients; and their findings impart significance to millions of other patients since similar changes in the same areas of the brain have been documented in mood and anxiety disorders. As the research evolves, it seems clear that there are numerous shared and common mechanisms with mental illnesses that have traditionally been viewed from a biological perspective.

Click here to view “The Neurobiology and Genetics of Borderline Personality Disorder” written by Antonia S. New, MD & Larry J. Siever MD.