Funeral homes sponsor Suicide Prevention event

In 2010, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 38,364 suicides in the US, making suicide the 10th leading cause of death for Americans. In that year, someone in this country died by suicide every 13.7 minutes.

Teen suicide is a growing problem. Nearly 1 in 6 high school students has seriously considered suicide, and 1 in 12 has attempted it, according to the semi-annual survey on youth risk behavior published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The attempted suicide rate for high school students has risen from 6.3% to 7.8% in the last three years. This is alarming and can be reversed.

Suicide Methods

In 2010, firearms were the most common method of death by suicide, accounting for  50.6% of all suicide deaths.

The next most common methods were suffocation (including hangings) at 24.8%

Poisoning  ranked 17.3%

Demographics 

More female teens than males have attempted or considered suicide.

The rate was highest among Hispanic females, at 13.5%.

The rate was lowest among white males, at 4.6%.

Students struggled with suicide more during the first two years of high school – at ages 14 to 16.

Rates dropped off slightly when students reached junior and senior year.

Overall, the suicide rate among teens has climbed in the past few years, as more teen suicides are reported as a result of bullying. 

Social media is causing the rise in numbers.

According to a Daily News, a New York newspaper, about 20% of kids attending high school said they'd been bullied while at school, and 16% said they'd been 'cyberbullied' through email, chat, instant messaging, social media or texting.

“As more and more forms of communication spring up, there's opportunity for bullying to occur, which could eventually lead to an increased rate of attempted suicides”, stated neuropsychologist Dr. Hector Adames.

"What happens with an increase in communication among students is that there's more pressure. There's more bullying," he said. "When adolescents and children feel embarrassed, it's kind of like the end of the world for them.”

Funeral homes sponsor suicide prevention event.

In Winchester Park, TN, the community is taking a stand against suicide.

On Oct. 5, the group MADSAM, aka 'Making a Difference Suicide Awareness Movement,' is trying to make a difference by spreading awareness about depression and suicide. They are having a Suicide Awareness Unity Walk at Winchester Park, in Winchester TN, and the group has an unlikely sponsor. 

Two funeral homes, Higgins and Moore-Cortner Funeral Home will be sponsoring the walk.

It wasn’t so long ago that death was a taboo subject. Now that stigma has turned to suicide. We need to talk about suicide and depression, especially with our children and teens. There have been suicides in children as young as 8 yrs. old and many in the pre-teen ages.

"We witness what happens first hand after the devastation and how it impacts the families," said Clay Higgins of Higgins Funeral Home.

He said, "The community is everything. If the community is healthy we all move in the same direction, in the right direction."

Funeral Directors in Westchester Park, TN are making a difference.  You can too.

MAD SAM Mission Statement- To bring a greater awareness to the warning signs of suicidal behavior, bring a sense of hope and strength to  those considering suicide and offer support for loved ones left behind by this silent epidemic.

Source: Nancy Burban

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