Jim Liebelt's Youth Culture Watch

Study Questions Effectiveness of Therapy for Suicidal Teenagers

Most adolescents who plan or attempt suicide have already received at least some mental health treatment, raising questions about the effectiveness of current approaches to helping troubled youths, according to the largest in-depth analysis to date of suicidal behaviors in American teenagers.

The study, in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, found that 55 percent of suicidal teenagers had received some therapy before they thought about suicide, planned it or tried to kill themselves, contradicting the widely held belief that suicide is due in part to a lack of access to treatment.

The findings, based on interviews with a nationwide sample of more than 6,000 teenagers and at least one parent of each, linked suicidal behavior to complex combinations of mood disorders like depression and behavior problems like attention-deficit and eating disorders, as well as alcohol and drug abuse.

The study found that about one in eight teenagers had persistent suicidal thoughts at some point, and that about a third of those who had suicidal thoughts had made an attempt, usually within a year of having the idea.

Previous studies have had similar findings, based on smaller, regional samples. But the new study is the first to suggest, in a large nationwide sample, that access to treatment does not make a big difference.

The study suggests that effective treatment for severely suicidal teenagers must address not just mood disorders, but also behavior problems that can lead to impulsive acts, experts said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,386 people between the ages of 13 and 18 committed suicide in 2010, the latest year for which numbers are available.

Source: New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/09/health/gaps-seen-in-therapy-for-suicidal-teenagers.html

Bullied Kids More Likely to Contemplate Suicide

Teens who are bullied by their peers are 2.5 times more likely to have suicidal thoughts than those who haven't had any recent harassment, according to a new study.

But, that risk jumps to between 3.4 and 4.4 times more likely when the child is sexually assaulted or mistreated by a parent, respectively. Suicide risk increases to six-fold for kids who have experienced seven or more individual types of victimization in the past year, the study found.

"Exposure to multiple forms of victimization is especially detrimental," study author Dr. Heather Turner, professor of sociology at the University of New Hampshire, in Durham, N.H., said to HealthDay. "These kids may be exposed to crime and violence at home by witnessing their parents fighting and other types of domestic violence, and they may witness violence in their neighborhoods and be bullied on the Internet. These are kids that are clearly experiencing a huge amount of adversity in multiple areas of their lives."

The study was published online on Oct. 22 in the Archives of Pediatric Medicine.

Source: CBS News
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57538401/bullied-kids-more-likely-to-contemplate-suicide/

CDC Study: 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results

Since 1991, The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has surveyed teens every two years in order to identify trends in risky adolescent behaviors. The results of the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey have recently been released. Highlights of the current survey:

Results from the 2011 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) show that significant progress has been made in improving behaviors related to motor vehicle safety.  Since 1991, the percentage of high school students who never or rarely wear seat belts has declined from 26% to 8%, and the percentage of high school students who rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol during the past 30 days has declined from 40% to 24%.  In addition, since 1997, the percentage of high school students who had driven a car when they had been drinking alcohol during the past 30 days decreased from 17% to 8%.

Though notable progress also has been made in reducing alcohol use, alcohol remains the most commonly used drug among high school students.  Since 1999 the percentage of high school students who drank alcohol during the past 30 days decreased from 50% to 39% and, since 1997, the percentage who reported binge drinking (having 5 or more drinks of alcohol in a row during the past 30 days) decreased from 33% to 22%. Yet, more than 1 in 3 high school students reported current alcohol use in 2011, and 1 in 5 high school students reported binge drinking. Furthermore, marijuana use during the past 30 days decreased from 27% in 1999 to 23% in 2011, but it is now more prevalent than cigarette use during the past 30 days (23% vs. 18%).

The 2011 National YRBS showed for the first time that 1 of every 3 (33%) students had texted or e-mailed while driving a car or other vehicle during the past 30 days, and 1 of every 6 (16%) had been electronically bullied through e-mail, chat rooms, instant messaging, Web sites, or texting during the past 12 months—documenting unsafe practices and a troubling public health issue.

Other notable findings:

Lifetime alcohol use (at least one drink of alcohol): 70.8%, down from 72.5% in 2009.

Lifetime marijuana use (at least one use of marijuana): 39.9%, up from 36.8% in 2009.

Lifetime cigarette smoking (those who have tried cigarette smoking): 44.7%, down from 46.3% in 2009.

Have had sexual intercourse: 47.4%, up from 46% in 2009.

Seriously considered suicide during the 12 months before the survey: 15.8%, up from 13.8% in 2009.

Attempted suicide during the 12 months before the survey: 7.8%, up from 6.3% in 2009.

Rarely or never wore a seat belt: 7.7%, down from 9.7% in 2009.

Source: CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/ss/ss6104.pdf

Bully-Victims 3x More Likely to Have Suicidal Thoughts by Age 11

In a paper published in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the researchers found children who are both victims and bullies ('bully-victims'), are at highly increased risk of considering suicide, or have planned and engaged in suicidal or self-harming behavior by 11-12 years of age. These increased odds were not explained by other factors family circumstances or pre-existing emotional problems.

The study used information collected from parents and teachers, as well as children, to see how common bullying or victim behavior was.

They found that, compared to children who were never bullied, 'bully-victims' were three times as likely to have suicidal thoughts, and that those who were bullied over a long period of time were six times more likely to consider suicide.

Those who bully others but never become victims (pure bullies) were also at increased risk for suicide thoughts and suicidal or self-harming behaviour but the findings were not as consistent.

Source: MedicalXpress
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-bullies-victims-suicidal-thoughts-age.html

40% of Youths Attempting Suicide Make First Attempt Before High School

Thoughts about killing oneself and engaging in suicidal behavior may begin much younger than previously thought. While about one of nine youths attempt suicide by the time they graduate from high school, new findings reveal that a significant proportion make their first suicide attempt in elementary or middle school.

In a study published in the November issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health, nearly 40 percent of young adults who said they had tried suicide said that they made their first attempt before entering high school.

The researchers also found that suicide attempts during childhood and adolescence were linked to higher scores of depression at the time of the attempts, validating for the first time that young adults can reliably recall when they first attempted suicide.

"Young adults who end up having chronic mental health problems show their struggles early," said James Mazza, lead author and professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington. "This study suggests that implementation of mental health programs may need to start in elementary and middle schools, and that youth in these grades are fairly good reporters of their own mental health."

Source: EurekAlert!
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-11/uow-4po112311.php

Another Teen Suicide Linked to Bullying

14-year old Jamey Rodemeyer was found dead after an apparent suicide. He left no note. But his parents say he was bullied for years in middle school.

"It was a constant taunting," said Tracy Rodemeyer, Jamey's mother. "The same people over and over."

The bullying got so bad the parents went to the school about it. They say the school tried to stop it and succeeded at times. Jamey also went through counseling and learned to deal with it better. But it was tough. The bullies were mean.

"People would say, you're like a girl or whatever and then even some of them would say what are you gay," said Tracy. "And he did not like when he was being called those things."

Tracy says Jamey questioned his sexuality and they talked about it openly as a family, and that for the last year, he was doing well.

Tim Rodemeyer, Jamey's father, said, "He fooled everybody. He put on a brave face and I wish he wouldn't have."

Tim and Tracy say they have a message for other parents:

"They have to teach their children to stand up for themselves and their friends and stop the bullies from bullying people," said Tim.

Source: WGRZ.com
http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/135364/1/Buffalo-Teen-Commits-Suicide-Parents-Say-He-was-Bullied

 

 

 

Few Suicidal Teens Get the Help They Need

Although the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that suicide is the third leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 24 years, a new study shows few suicidal teens are getting the mental health treatment they need.

The researchers found only 13 percent of teenagers with suicidal thoughts visited a mental health professional through their health care network, and only 16 percent received treatment during the year, even though they were eligible for mental health visits without a referral and with relatively low co-payments.

Even when researchers combined various types of mental health services, such as antidepressants and care received outside their health network, only 26 percent of teens contemplating suicide received help in the previous year.

"Teen suicide is a very real issue today in the United States. Until now, we've known very little about how much or how little suicidal teens use health care services. We found it particularly striking to observe such low rates of health care service use among most teens in our study," the study's lead author, Carolyn A. McCarty, of Seattle Children's Research Institute and research associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, said in a Seattle Children's Hospital news release.

"We know that asking teens about [suicidal thoughts] does not worsen their problems," said McCarty. "It's absolutely crucial for a teen who is having thoughts of self-harm or significant depression to be able to tell a helpful, trustworthy adult."

The researchers added that primary care physicians should be screening teenagers for depression and suicidal thoughts. "Effective screening tools are available, as are effective treatments for depression," McCarty noted.

The study was published in the September issue of Academic Pediatrics.

Source: U.S. News & World Report
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/brain-and-behavior/articles/2011/09/16/few-suicidal-teens-get-the-help-they-need

Sleep Problems in Adolescents Top Marker for Determining Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior

Even factoring out depression, sleep problems in youths are the top markers for determining suicidal thoughts and behavior in adolescents, according to a new study by Idaho State University and University of Michigan researchers.

The study could have major implications on how clinicians pursue treatment with youth. The researchers conclude: “parents and primary care physicians are encouraged to be vigilant and screen for sleep problems in young adolescents."

Previous studies have shown that sleep is an important risk factor, but there is the question that if someone is depressed or exposed to other risk factors, does that affect their sleep patterns, according Maria Wong, Idaho State University associate professor of psychology, one of the principal investigators on the study, who teamed up with Professors Kirk Brower and Robert Zucker at the University of Michigan.

We wondered that if you control for depression, is there still a relationship between sleep deprivation and suicidal thoughts in adolescents,” Wong said. “Our study controlled for depression and we still found that not being able to sleep well and a general feeling of tiredness are the two significant predictors to suicidal thoughts and behavior.”

Wong was quick to point out that “we don’t have proof that one causes the other,” but that tiredness and trouble sleeping are good markers of risk factors in youth and suicidal behavior.

Source: Media Newswire
http://media-newswire.com/release_1140390.html

 

Acne, Not Acne Treatments May be Cause of Teen Depression & Suicidal Thoughts

Teens with severe acne are more likely to suffer suicidal thoughts compared with their clear-skinned peers, and scientists behind a new study think the link has less to do with prescription acne medications -- which have long been associated with suicide risk -- and more to do with the embarrassing pimples themselves.

Acne-addled girls were twice as likely to contemplate suicide, and boys with acne faced triple the risk, according to a Norwegian survey of 3,775 teens, aged 18 and 19. Unlike previous studies on teen acne, this one polled participants in the general population rather than exclusively teens under a doctor's care for skin problems.

The study's results suggest that skin problems -- rather than their treatment -- are at the root of suicide risk. Concerns have persisted over a link between pharmaceuticals, like Acutane, and mental health problems.

Nearly one in five teenagers will suffer from serious acne at some point during adolescence, making the study's results even more troubling.

Teens with acne also reported more difficulty at school, fewer close friendships and fewer romantic relationships. That kind of social stress no doubt exacerbates the depression and anxiety found by researchers.

"There are hidden consequences to acne -- particularly severe acne," Dr. Jerry Tan, a Canadian dermatologist, told CNN, adding that acne often strikes at "a critical point in human development."

Source: AOL News
http://www.aolnews.com/surge-desk/article/suicidal-teens-pimples-not-prescription-acne-treatments-might/19636783

Teen Boys Who Attempt Suicide More Likely to Abuse as Adults

Men who attempted suicide before age 18 are much more likely to abuse their girlfriends or wives, according to a study from the Oregon Social Learning Center in Eugene.

The U.S. study included 153 males from relatively high-crime neighborhoods who were assessed annually from ages 10 to 32. The men's romantic partners were added to the study when the men were aged 18 to 25. Researchers found that 58 percent of males who tried to kill themselves before age 18 went on to injure a girlfriend or wife, compared with 23 percent of males who didn't attempt suicide when they were youths.

The association between attempted suicide and later aggression toward partners remained even after the researchers controlled for a number of other factors, including aggression, depression, substance abuse and a family history of abuse. The study documented partner abuse through several types of data, including domestic violence arrest records, women's and men's accounts of injuries and live observations of couples.

The findings, published online in the journal Psychological Medicine, offer evidence of the need for intervention programs for suicidal teens, said study co-author David Kerr, an assistant professor of psychology at Oregon State University (OSU).

"The study began when these men were kids, before anyone knew who was going to be violent," Kerr continued. That is quite different from research that starts with violent men, or women from a domestic violence shelter, and tries to look back in time for explanations."

Source: Businessweek
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/640054.html