1. Suicide Prevention Ch. 5 Lesson 3

2. Case Scenario O Alex has been feeling down lately. Even though Alex is a good student, he failed several important tests. As a result, he was suspended from the basketball team. To make matters worse, his girlfriend Snaps broke up with him. Alex seems depressed all the time and doesn’t care about anything anymore. When friends try to talk to him, Alex says he just wants to get away from it all.

3. Alienation (Vocab) O Feeling isolated and separated from everyone else. O May be unable to cope with with difficult life experiences. O May lack support from family and friends. O May seek to escape from pain and consider ending their lives.

4. Suicide (Vocab) O The act of intentionally taking one’s own life. O 3 rd leading cause of death among teenagers ages 15 to 19. O A permanent solution to a temporary problem!

5. Suicide Risk Factors O More than 90 percent are suffering from depression or another mental disorder. O Have a history of abusing alcohol or other drugs.

6. Cluster Suicides (Vocab) O A series of suicides occurring within a short period of time and involving several people of the same community or school. O Account for about 5% of all teen suicides. O Some result from pacts made among peers or because of tragic events in school or community

7. Warning signs of Suicide O ”I wish I were dead.” O “I can’t take it anymore.” O Songs, poems or diary entries that deal with death O Withdrawal from friends. O Giving away personal belongings. O Substance abuse. O Deterioration in schoolwork or recreational performance.

8. How you can help? O Initiate a meaningful conversation. O Show support and ask questions. O Try to persuade the person to seek help.

9. Review O What is alienation? O What 2 risk factors have the strongest association with suicide? O Name 5 warning signs of suicide?