Suicide

Suicide.
A potential, tragic consequence of untreated depression is suicide. In 1997, over 30,000 people in the United States died from suicide, and suicide was the third leading cause of death among 10- to 24-year-olds.22, 25 Over 90 percent of these people had a mental illness, typically either a depressive disorder or a substance-abuse disorder.25 Research from the National Institute of Mental Health estimates that as many as seven percent of adolescents who develop a major depressive disorder become victims of suicide.22 Danger signs that a teen may be considering suicide include Children and adolescents who are suicidal report feelings of depression, anger, anxiety, hopelessness, and worthlessness. They feel helpless to change frustrating circumstances or to find a solution for their problems. In addition to depression, family conflicts and suicidal death of a relative, friend, or acquaintance are risk factors for suicide among children and adolescents.44 In the case of another person’s suicide, children or teens may need intervention to prevent feelings of guilt, trauma, or social isolation. Programs offered by school professionals that address these concerns can be extremely helpful for identifying grieving youths who may need help. Public health approaches to preventing suicide include establishing telephone crisis hot lines, restricting access to suicide methods (for example, firearms), counseling media to reduce “copycat” suicides, screening teens for risk factors of suicide, and training professionals to improve recognition and treatment of mood disorders. Research about the effectiveness of these methods indicates that the screening and training strategies are more helpful for preventing suicides among young people than the other methods are.
 * undergoing dramatic personality change;
 * giving away prized possessions;
 * writing notes or poems about death;
 * talking about suicide, even jokingly;
 * making comments such as, “I can’t take it anymore” or “I won’t be a problem for you much longer”;
 * previously attempting suicide;
 * running away from home; and
 * having other symptoms or risk factors for depression, such as difficulty getting along with parents and friends, difficulty in school, or acting bored or withdrawn.

http://science.education.nih.gov/Supplements/Nih5/Mental/guide/info-mental-c.htm