By Patrick Donges
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-974484.mp3
Hancock, MA – Professionals from across the county gathered Tuesday at Jiminy Peak in Hancock for a day-long training conference on the prevention of youth suicide.
The conference was presented by the Berkshire Coalition for Suicide Prevention, or BCSP, and funded with a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
While Massachusetts as a whole has a suicide rate below the combined national rate, the Berkshires and the cape islands of Barnstable County have the highest suicide rates in the state.
Dr. Ann Potter, Medical Director for the Acute Outpatient Services Division of the Pittsfield-based Brien Center for mental health and substance abuse services, presented statistics that show while suicide peaked in the Berkshires shortly after the closure of General Electric's Pittsfield plant in the late 1980's, the rate remains among the highest in the state for both youth and overall suicide. She began with statistics on the county's youth.
"4.6 per 100,000 in Berkshire County as compared to 3.9 percent for Massachusetts. In 2006 the average annual rate per 100,000 in the U.S. (was) 7.01. 4.6 is still below that, but higher than the rest of Massachusetts."
The majority of the conference was spent discussing how to identify risk factors and what can be done once a child or teen has been identified as being at risk. Here Potter describes some of the factors she encountered in a case of attempted suicide by a young man.
"He had had a recent loss, he had a family history of suicide, he was depressed and there was a family history of depression. He was using pot on a regular basis and also drank alcohol regularly. He had had violent outbursts."
While these are factors that could be identified by a friend or family member, clinicians must also be aware of any diagnosed psychological conditions that could put a teen at risk.
Dr. Brenda Butler, a psychiatrist specializing in children and adolescents at Berkshire Medical Center, said depression in younger children is often more obvious than in teenagers.
"In young children; these kids really do look sad. They look sad, they look tired and they're just cranky and not right and they don't feel good physically."
"In teenagers; these kids are difficult to pick up on as depressed because they're just angry. They're angry and they're difficult and they're uncooperative and they're starting to get into more behavioral difficulties at school and have academic difficulties at school and kind of pushing off their friends and don't want to be around them anymore either."
Butler added that anxiety disorders, among the most common experienced by children and adults, should be considered a concern for possible suicidal behavior, especially if they are developed over a period of several years.
"They are the most common mental illness that we have and I really think it gets under recognized because it can be extremely tormenting to live with."
"This follows kids developmentally. Younger kids tend to have separation anxiety, you get a little older and it turns into generalized (anxiety), you get a little older and it turns into social (anxiety). People with anxiety disorders have many different types of anxiety symptoms so it's really early to pick up on these things early in a preventive way."
Butler said sleep disturbances, headaches or stomachaches and chronic truancy may be red flags for teens with generalized or social anxiety, but teens with more subtle symptoms may require some counseling before admitting they have an issue.
"If you ask most people, not just kids, but if you ask them, 'Do you feel anxious?' they'll say, 'No. No, I'm fine, I'm chill.' I've seen some of the most 'chill' teenagers with such bad anxiety disorders you wouldn't believe it."
"So you really have to describe it; you have to say, 'Do you worry about anything?'"
While parents may be the ones asking teens those questions, teachers and school administrators can take a preventative stance by talking about suicide with teens and addressing bullying where and when it happens, for the sake of both the bullied and the bullies.
"The bullies, the bystanders, and the victims are all troubled by bullying. Bullying boys tend to grow up to have lots of mental health and substance abuse problems and are at risk."
"The thing that seems to be the most potent in a community setting and a school setting is sort of pro-social behavior. It's really educating everybody in the population to really be able to tune in to how everyone's treating one another.
Just don't ever pass it over; just stop and say, 'Can we talk about what just happened here?'"
A short film produced by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention titled "More Than Sad" which was shown at the beginning of the conference will be distributed to local schools and BCSP organizers said it will hopefully be worked into district curriculums.
Resources:
Brien Center 24-Hour Hotline, Pittsfield - 1-800-252-0227
Brien Family Center at Berkshire Medical Center - (413) 447-2145
Massachusetts Toll-Free Samaritans Line - 1-877-870-4673
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1-800-273-TALK (8255)