YSPP is proud of our accomplishments but cognizant that there is LOTS more to do. We know this when the majority of schools that are currently facilitating peer-to-peer suicide prevention efforts tell us that they would be unlikely to continue if our support was withdrawn. And despite the fact that suicide ranks higher than homicide as a cause of death, most communities continue to perceive suicide prevention as a lower priority than violence, drugs/alcohol use and sexual assault.
Here are some specific things that need to be done:
- More teachers, school staff, parents, coaches, mentors and community “gatekeepers” need to know how to recognize the warning signs for depression and suicide and what to do.
- More middle and high schools need to incorporate depression and suicide prevention lessons into their health curriculum, enhancing the knowledge and skills of students to recognize and intervene.
- More school districts need to have written crisis plans that include responding to suicidal behavior.
- More colleges and universities need to have knowledgeable faculty and staff who can recognize and intervene.
- More physicians, nurses and health care providers need to be trained to ask a young person directly about suicidal thoughts.
- More adults working with youth who are statistically at higher-risk for suicide – our GLBTQ youth, Native American youth, youth in foster care and those in the juvenile justice system - need to be trained so that they are able to recognize the warning signs, ask directly about suicide and refer for crisis services.
- More communities need to address the stigma that is associated with mental illness.
- More communities need to enhance their safety nets for youth with a focus on increasing protective factors, like parental involvement.
- More after-school and evening programs need to be available for meaningful, safe activities for young people.
- More focus needs to be placed on “how” young people die (vs. “why”) and reducing access to lethal means, including the safe storage of firearms and prescription medications. (read article by Tony Gomez, BS, RS - Lok-it-Up: Partnering for Safety)
- Access to crisis resources needs to be increased.
- More collaboration and cooperation between mental and physical health resources and families.
- More media coverage about suicide prevention and not just suicide.
