HOLY NAME UNIVERSITY
THE PREMIER CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY IN THE PROVINCE OF BOHOL
College of Health Sciences – Nursing Department
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[email protected] HOLY NAME UNIVERSITY
THE PREMIER CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY IN THE PROVINCE OF BOHOL
College of Health Sciences – Nursing Department
CONCERNS REGARDING
DEPRESSION &
SELF-INJURY
Self-injury includes a range of self-
destructive actions from cutting to
suicide, the planned intent to end
one’s life. Cutting is more frequently
seen in girls than in boys and can
begin as early as grade school.
Successful suicide occurs more
frequently in males than in females,
although more females apparently
attempt suicide than males.
Trailblazing Excellence in Educating Servant Leaders
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[email protected] HOLY NAME UNIVERSITY
THE PREMIER CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY IN THE PROVINCE OF BOHOL
College of Health Sciences – Nursing Department
Risk factors / Causes that
may lead adolescents to
attempt suicide:
Family history of suicide attempts
School failure
Access to firearms
Loss of a girlfriend / boyfriend
Loss in a competition with loss of
self esteem
Acute loss (e.g. family member)
Rejection
Incest
Maltreatment / abuse / neglect
Increased chemical dependency
Marital instability in the family
Poor problem-solving ability
Anger with others
Manipulation (e.g. blackmail)
Struggle with sexual identity
Bullying
Feelings of hopelessness
All these reasons may lead an adolescent
to decide death may be easier than coping
with overwhelming problems.
Trailblazing Excellence in Educating Servant Leaders
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[email protected] HOLY NAME UNIVERSITY
THE PREMIER CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY IN THE PROVINCE OF BOHOL
College of Health Sciences – Nursing Department
ASSESSMENT
Signs of depression that need
to be assessed at health
maintenance clinic visits of
adolescents include:
1. Anorexia
2. Insomnia
3. Excessive fatigue
4. Weight loss
5. Disobedience
6. Temper tantrums
7. Truancy (absenteeism)
8. Running away
Further clues of depression
include:
1. Self-destructive behavior
2. Proneness to injury
3. Difficulties in school
4. Acting out with chemicals/drugs
5. Alcohol
6. Sexual promiscuity
7. Trouble with legal authorities
Trailblazing Excellence in Educating Servant Leaders
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[email protected] HOLY NAME UNIVERSITY
THE PREMIER CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY IN THE PROVINCE OF BOHOL
College of Health Sciences – Nursing Department
Occasionally, depressed adolescents
find it so hard to be alone that they
seek constant activity as a means of
escape. Others may withdraw from
contact with other people and become
completely isolated. Either behavior
need to be detected by assessing
activity & interaction levels.
Adolescents who attempt suicide do
not fall into any one category,
although many tend to be loners or
have difficulty expressing their
feelings to others, and therefore do
not receive emotional support from
friends and family.
Others adolescents appear to be
“perfect” students, so friends or
family do not see a need to counsel
them. The stress of trying to
continually achieve at a high level
and perfectionism, however, are
triggers that provoke suicide.
LGBT youths appear to have a
higher levels of suicide than others,
Trailblazing Excellence in Educating Servant Leaders
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[email protected] HOLY NAME UNIVERSITY
THE PREMIER CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY IN THE PROVINCE OF BOHOL
College of Health Sciences – Nursing Department
reflecting the level of stress they may
be experiencing.
If another member of the family
commits suicide , the chance that
an adolescent will also do so is
greater than usual
Because suicide usually reflects a
problem in family interaction, a
family assessment is helpful. A
thorough family history may reveal
conflict with one or both parents or
reveal how little support the
adolescent receives at home.
School friends may often be the
ones who are first aware that an
adolescent is contemplating suicide.
Caution parents not to disregard
reports from their child’s friends
who tell them they are concerned
Close to the time of suicide, some
adolescents demonstrate
characteristic behaviors that show
they are making preparations to end
their life. Teach family & friends
these typical danger signs:
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[email protected] HOLY NAME UNIVERSITY
THE PREMIER CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY IN THE PROVINCE OF BOHOL
College of Health Sciences – Nursing Department
SUICIDE WARNING SIGNS:
Giving away prized possessions
Organ donation questions, such as “How do you
leave your body to a medical school?”
Sudden, unexplained elevation of mood, which
may indicate the individual has reached a
decision about the suicide and feels relief
Injury proneness, carelessness, and death
wishes
Decrease in verbal communication or a
statement such as “This is the last time you will
see me” (or Social media posts)
Withdrawal from peer activities or previously
enjoyed events
Previous attempt (80% of all completed suicides
have been preceded by a failed attempt)
Preference for art, music, and literature with
themes of death
Recent increase in interpersonal conflict with
significant others
Running away from home
Recent experience of a friend or famous person
committing suicide
Inquiring about the hereafter (life after death)
Asking for information (supposedly for a friend)
about suicide prevention and intervention
Almost any sustained deviation from normal
pattern of behavior
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[email protected] HOLY NAME UNIVERSITY
THE PREMIER CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY IN THE PROVINCE OF BOHOL
College of Health Sciences – Nursing Department
When caring for a child after a
suicide attempt, ask enough
questions on a health history so you
can help to analyze whether an
adolescent made a detailed suicide
plan.
For example:
A young adolescent who took or
consumed four aspirins and left the
empty aspirin containers
conspicuously or intentionally in
the kitchen counter just before his
parents would arrive home from
work is more likely to be only
making a cry for help.
An adolescent who consumed or
took 100 aspirin tablets and hid the
container under the bed just after
his mother left for 8 hours of work is
tends to be making a serious
suicide attempt.
Trailblazing Excellence in Educating Servant Leaders
Copyright © 2020
[email protected] HOLY NAME UNIVERSITY
THE PREMIER CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY IN THE PROVINCE OF BOHOL
College of Health Sciences – Nursing Department
It is a fallacy that people who talk
about suicide do not attempt it.
An adolescent who has been
admitted to a hospital unit after a
serious suicide attempt may
formulate a new plan that will be
successful the next time unless
some action is taken and the
adolescent’s life can be changed in
some way.
Crisis intervention for adolescents
who are contemplating suicide
includes:
1. Alleviating their pain and
depression
2. Counselling them in an effort to
help them change their perspective
on the value of life
3. Not underestimating the
adolescent’s determination and
capability to end their own life. In
most instances, these adolescents
Trailblazing Excellence in Educating Servant Leaders
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[email protected] HOLY NAME UNIVERSITY
THE PREMIER CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY IN THE PROVINCE OF BOHOL
College of Health Sciences – Nursing Department
need referral to a consultant who is
well versed in suicide prevention to
improve self-image and offer
alternative solutions to problems.
4. Try to find out the things in the
child’s life that are still viewed as
important & build a plan that will help
view life as worth living
5. Helping adolescents learn better
problem solving skills is a prime
intervention. Ask “What would happen
if” questions such as:
“Suppose you did fail a course, what
would be the worst that could
happen?”
6. For safety, a period of observation
on an adolescent or a psychiatric help
is desirable after a suicide attempt to
avoid the adolescent from inflicting
self-injury again.
Trailblazing Excellence in Educating Servant Leaders
Copyright © 2020
[email protected] HOLY NAME UNIVERSITY
THE PREMIER CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY IN THE PROVINCE OF BOHOL
College of Health Sciences – Nursing Department
7. Continuing evaluation of the
adolescent should be ongoing because
the child may attempt suicide again if
support people and better problem-
solving abilities are not available.
Click here for more information
on depression & suicide:
https
://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c
TMK-gAhJ8o
END OF
PRESENTATION
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