By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Eighteen percent of all youth will consider suicide in the next year, according statistics presented to Hays High School staff during a Wednesday in-service.
That would be about 160 students at HHS.
One of the HHS teachers said she showed the same video to her students in class that the teachers watched Wednesday in their in-service, and the students said they felt those statistics were accurate among their peers.
The Jason Flatt Act, a measure passed in 2016 by the Kansas Legislature and 20 other states, requires educators to have annual suicide prevention training. Flatt was a 16-year-old who killed himself on July 16, 1997. His parents created a foundation in his name to bring awareness to youth suicide.
On average, 100 youth die each week as a result of suicide in the U.S., and it is the second leading cause of death of youth ages 10 to 18. The CDC reports the rate of suicide is up 45 percent since 1999.
Teachers who broke out into small discussion groups said they struggle with the issue.
Educators said they thought stress from busy schedules and pressure to achieve led youth to struggle with suicide.
They acknowledged the need to build relationships with students. However, Haley Wolf, PE teacher and cross country coach, said that can be difficult when she sees 150 to 200 students per day for physical education classes.
“Basically relationships is what it comes down to,” she said. “How well do you know a kid to know if they are being somewhat depressed that day as opposed to suicidal? What is that fine line between what is somewhat normal to taking it to the extreme?”
Wolf said she thought during the day she does not have the opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with students. However, she said it was easier to talk to student-athletes about issues that might be bothering them because she spends more time with those students and is able to get to know them better.
The teachers said they thought spending more time in the halls during passing period has given them the opportunity to make more connections with students.
Warning signs
Students related in surveys that relationship issues, crisis, substance abuse, physical health issues, job and financial issues, legal issues and loss of housing were all factors that related to them considering suicide.
The presentation indicated students will not always verbally express they are considering killing themselves.
The presentation recommended looking for the following warning signs using the FACTS acronym.
Feelings: Students may express feelings that are different from the past. This may include hopelessness, worthlessness, helplessness and being a burden to friends or family. They may feel anxious, be worried or anger often.
Action: Changes in behavior, including risk taking, withdrawing from activities, using drugs or alcohol. A young person may talk about death or suicide. However, the youth may speak indirectly about suicide.
Changes: Changes in personality, sleeping, eating, loss of interest in friends and family or a sudden improvement in mood after a period of being down or withdrawn.
Threats: The student may not directly say, “I am going to kill myself.” They may say things such as “Life doesn’t seem worth it sometimes,”or “I wish I were dead.” They may try to give away important possessions. They may study ways to dies, try obtain a weapon or pills or may self harm, such as cutting.
Situations: Certain situations can be trigger points for youth. These can include the death of a loved one; humiliation; rejection; failure; getting in trouble at home at school or with the law; a break up; or impending changes the youth feels unprepared for.
Teachers are required by law to report to authorities if a youth has threatened to harm themselves or others or if they believe someone is going to harm a student.
Event organizers urged teachers to contact school counselors, an administrator or the school psychologist if they believe a youth may be struggling with mental health issues or suicidal thoughts. If a teacher is contacted through email outside of school hours, and they believe the youth may be in imminent danger, they were urged to call 911.
Matthew Brooks, social studies teachers, urged his peers to follow up on reports with counselors to make sure the student’s issues are being addressed.
Jolene Windholz, Helping Hands instructor, said even if you didn’t think a student is in imminent danger, she thought students would appreciate being pulled aside to ask if they are OK.
“I think kids are sometimes happy to know someone cares,” she said.
One teacher also suggested the information about warning signs and reporting suicidal behavior be shared with students. He said students often know more about what is going on with their peers than adults do.
Out of Darkness Walk
Another teacher recommended being present in the community and urged her fellow teachers to participate in the Out of Darkness Walk Hays, which is a community event to promote suicide prevention.
Check-in and same-day registration will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday at Municipal Park, and the walk will begin at 2 p.m. Anyone who would like to form a team, join a team, or walk as an individual, and/or donate is encouraged to register at www.afsp.org/hays. There is no cost to participate in the walk or remembrance activities.
Resources
Teachers were also presented with several suicide prevention resources. These included:
High Plains Mental Health—1-800-432-0333 or local number 1-785-628-2871.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline—1-800-273-TALK (8255) suicidepreventionlifeline.org
National Center for Prevention of Youth Suicide
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC
Suicide Prevention Resource Center