Teen suicide

'A very dangerous time' drives up teen suicides after years of decline

March 02, 2010, The Kansas City Star, Mo.

Mar. 2--A celebrity's son plunged eight stories to his death Friday night in Los Angeles after writing a note that said he was unhappy.

Two Pennsylvania girls in their midteens stood in front of an onrushing Amtrak train last week, having texted how upset they were by a boyfriend's death in a traffic accident.

An academically and athletically gifted junior at Odessa High School came home drunk six years ago, climbed the stairs to his bedroom and put a rifle to his head.

"As a parent, I didn't notice the difference between depression and normal 15- and 16-year-old behavior until after the fact," Tracy Peter said of her son, Evan Hedicke, who was 16 when he killed himself.

What experts are noticing is that after a decline in the 1990s, the number of youths who kill themselves began to rise about five years ago.

Though no one can explain with certainty the reason for the increase, experts point to teens having more pressures at home and at school, financial worries for families and an increase of alcohol and drug use.

"This is a very dangerous time for our young people," said Kathy Harms, a staff psychologist at Kansas City's Crittenton Children's Center, which provides psychiatric care for children and adolescents. "We're seeing more anxiety and depression in children of all ages. ... We see kids as young as 3 who come in."

In this country, a teen takes his, or her, own life every 100 minutes, according to Suicide. org, a national suicide-prevention Web site.

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24 in Missouri. It ranks second in Kansas.

"Teens think they are invincible, so when they feel psychological pain, they are more apt to feel overwhelmed by hopelessness and the belief that they have no control over their lives," said Tony Jurich, the author of a 2008 book on suicidal adolescents.

Hopelessness and helplessness is "the Molotov cocktail that triggers teen suicide," said Jurich, a professor of family therapy at Kansas State University.

The issue is in the headlines again after Marie Osmond's 18-year-old son jumped off his apartment balcony. Michael Blosil, the son of the 1970s TV and music star, left a note thanking a friend and detailing a few last moments, according to news reports.

Schools, counselors and psychologists across the nation -- including the Kansas City area -- see more young people battling severe depression and other psychological issues.

A study released in January found that five times as many high school and college students today deal with mental health issues as those surveyed in the Great Depression.

A study that is scheduled to be released today shows that a decadelong decline in substance abuse among teens has ended.

The annual survey found that 6.5 million high schoolers -- or 39 percent -- reported alcohol use in the last month. That was an increase from 35 percent in 2008, according to The Associated Press. One out of four high schoolers now says he or she smoked pot in the last month, up from less than one in five in 2008.

When Harms gets to Crittenton each morning, dealing with new admissions is like maneuvering through a hectic emergency room.

"We hit the ground running every morning," she said. "We're trying to treat as many kids as possible in as quick a time as we can."

Tracy Peter said she wishes she could have gotten her son treated in time. More than five years after her son's suicide, she knows the warnings were there.

"What if I had recognized the signs?" she said.

A deer hunter, Evan knew how to handle a rifle. Since her son used the rifle on himself that June day in 2004, Peter has gotten help through a support group that meets in Independence. Peter said she now realizes the pain her son was going through.

Evan's father had been in prison. In his sophomore year, Evan was kicked off the football squad for being part of a team hazing and got in trouble at school for being caught with marijuana, which cost him his spot on the baseball team.

Evan left a note telling his mother he loved her and asking her to divide his things among friends. Peter said she believes the note was written days earlier, that Evan had made his mind up, that he got drunk to numb himself.

A "ripple effect" means that one suicide affects at least six others, said Fred Newton, the director of counseling services at K-State.

This year, K-State and other colleges went online to create virtual communities that allow students to talk.

High schools also try to be proactive. In the Blue Valley School District, every elementary school, middle school and high school completes a student well-being plan to address substance abuse, bullying and suicide prevention.

The district also has a "Who Knows Me Chart" that spots students who aren't known by faculty or staff. Such students then are paired with an adult.

"Kids need to know they have someone at school who knows them, who cares," said Sue Denny, the district's executive director of student services.

Society can't afford to ignore the signs of depression and suicidal tendencies, said Wanda Porter of Crittenton.

"It's just critical," she said, "because our kids are dying."

KNOW THE WARNING SIGNS: Signs that someone may be at risk for committing suicide:

--Talking or writing about dying, disappearing or types of self-harm.

--Personality changes: withdrawal from family and friends, anxious or irritable, sad, indecisive or apathetic.

--Inability to concentrate on school, work, routine tasks.

--Change in sleep, including insomnia, oversleeping and nightmares.

--Dressing down, unkempt and poor hygiene.

--Change in eating habits.

--Low self-esteem or overwhelming guilt, self-hatred or shame.

--Loss of hope, believing things never will get better.

--Giving away favorite things, extravagant spending, arranging care for pets.

Sources: Suicide.org and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention