Saturday, September 14, 2013

Teen Suicide Digital Pathfinder Websites and Books

Websites

American Psychological Association: Teen Suicide is Preventable
This site is a reliable source of information about teen suicide. It contains information about statistics relating to teen suicide and the signs that a person is contemplating suicide. It also lists what a friend can do to help, such as telling an adult or having their friend call a suicide crisis hotline.

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance: Preparing for a Crisis
This site is important because it states what a teen should do if he or she is feeling suicidal. There are suggested steps to take to get through the suicidal thoughts and depression. It also suggests how you should prepare for a future crisis. There is information about how to talk to someone that is experiencing a suicidal crisis.

KidsHealth: About Teen Suicide
This page is meant to inform parents about teen suicide, but is useful for teenagers as well. It lists statistics for teen suicide and contains information about the difference in attempts between boys and girls. The site lists risks that cause a teen to be more likely to contemplate suicide. It lists warning signs and what family members can do to help.

National Alliance on Mental Illness: Teenage Suicide
According to this site, most people who consider committing suicide have a diagnosable mental disorder. It provides facts about teen suicide and the treatments available. It also offers suggestions of how friends and family members can help their loved one overcome their suicidal tendencies.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
This whole website is an important resource when researching suicide. There is information about getting help for yourself or someone that you know. There are pages about bullying, mental health, and coping techniques. Several fact sheets are available here from different organizations about suicide.

Preventing Youth Suicide—Tips for Parents and Educators
This resource states the role of the school environment in suicide prevention and the importance of keeping parents informed about their teen’s suicidal thoughts.  It also lists risks factors, warning signs, resiliency factors, and what to do to help a teen who has suicidal thoughts.

Teen Suicide: What Parents Need to Know
Though the title of the page says that it is for parents, the information is beneficial for teenagers as well. The site addresses what makes teens consider suicide and what can be done to help. It includes the role that medication, such as antidepressants, can play in helping suicidal teens.

Web MD: Preventing Teen Suicide
Web MD explores the relationship between depression and suicidal thoughts or actions in teenagers. It also addresses the importance of reducing an at-risk teen’s exposure to suicidal methods. The site states what to do if someone that you know threatens to commit suicide and what factors reduce the risk of suicide.

Yellow Ribbon: Suicide Prevention Program
While I listed the main link for the Yellow Ribbon site, I would really like to point out the page titled “For Teens.” The page addresses what to do if a teenager is considering suicide. There are links to helpful sites, such as TeenHelp.org, where teens can discuss their problems and concerns in a forum and can seek help anonymously. There are also suggested coping strategies that you can perform if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts.

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Books

One in Thirteen: The Silent Epidemic of Teen Suicide by Jessica Portner
In this book, Jessica Portner addresses the statistics relating to suicide and how it can be prevented. She points out the relationship between environmental stressors, mental disorders, and suicide rates. Portner discusses the reasons and methods of suicide and gives the stories of people who have attempted suicide or who succeeded in committing suicide in the past. She warns of the importance of preparing for a suicidal crisis in the home, the schools, and the community. The Dewey Decimal call number is 362.28.

Teen Suicide, edited by Tamara L. Roleff (At Issue series)
The various authors that compiled this book list the risk factors that may lead to suicidal thoughts in teens and address the relationship between homosexuality, bullying, and suicide. They point out that the availability of the methods of suicide, such as guns, can encourage a teenager to attempt suicide. The authors also point out the correlation between suicide and other at-risk behaviors, such as substance abuse and abortion.  This book is a compilation of essays that show opposing viewpoints about the risk factors of suicide.  The Dewey Decimal call number is 362.28.

When Nothing Matters Anymore: A Survival Guide for Depressed Teens by Bev Cobain

Cobain explains how teenage depression can lead to suicide and gives a list of symptoms so that teens may recognize depression in themselves. She mentions self-help, therapy, and medications that can help a teen overcome their depression and suicidal thoughts. The Dewey Decimal call number for this book is 616.8527.

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