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You need to speak out to prevent suicide Tips come from state Office of Mental Health speaker 
December 9, 2004 John Owens Speaking is usually the hardest thing to do for a person being pulled under by depression. In an effort to amplify those stifled voices, the state's Office of Mental Health has developed a program called SPEAK (Suicide Prevention Education Awareness Kit) — created for health care providers and educators to help them understand suicide and preventive methods. Last month, members of New York State United Teachers' Health Care Professionals Council hosted John Owens from OMH's Community Outreach program. "Our educators and health care professionals deal with this issue all the time, and we want to raise awareness," said Anne Goldman, a New York City nurse who chairs the NYSUT health council. More people die from suicides than homicides in the U.S. It is the third leading cause of death for people age 15-24, according to OMH. The yellow SPEAK kits provide facts on the nature of depression and suicide prevention, urging people to keep their ears tuned for expressions such as: "I'll get out of it all." "I can't stand the pressure one more day." Students or patients who pick fights, give away possessions or neglect their appearance need to be noticed. Teens unable to make decisions, who lose interest in ordinary activities, or have trouble with sleep or appetite should be talked to. Be on the lookout for:
"We should always err on the side of action," Owens said. "People who are suicidal are conflicted. They wish to both live and to die." The depressed person is constricted in the ability to see alternatives. "The best way to find out if a person is contemplating suicide is to ask them," Owens said. The question might be framed as "Do you ever feel you just can't go on?" or "Have you thought about commiting suicide?" or "It sounds like you are having a very rough time and don't see any way to deal with this." "Avoiding the subject may be deadly," he said. Owens said one should never:
Instead, Owens said, steer toward what happened to create pain, and find help. People struggling with suicide can benefit from help with:
Owens said public outreach on suicide is a "new direction for OMH. A lot of it came out of Project Liberty and 9/11." Project Liberty was an effort by the Office of Mental Health and the New York State Psychological Association, a NYSUT affiliate, to provide school outreach to help educators understand how to respond to trauma in school children. For information about the program, visit www.speakny.org. — Liza Frenette |
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