Screening Teens for Suicidal Tendencies

In a survey on July 16, 2001 (Washington) - 1999, one in ten American high school students reported that they attempted suicide attempts last year, where mental health experts discussed teenagers. Depression and suicide problems. They agree that reducing this statistic is the goal, but it is complicated, as it is difficult to identify children most likely to run the risk of life.

They point out that teens often do not use the suicide hotline - in particular boys are more likely to commit suicide than girls.

Sharon Lobaugh, a member of the National Psychiatric Patient Association of Alaska (NAMI), stated that it is important to positively attack in dealing with adolescent mental health problems. "Excuse me," she told WebMD. "The story is prevention and they feel that someone is listening."

Researchers speaking at the NAMI conference are aware that teenagers are promoting school-based screening tests that can be self-managed

Laurie Flynn of the Columbia University Family, Community and Health Policy Center Director said the screening program is "grassroots effort to intervene with dry children".

In order to take the test, a teenager first performs a short written test asking for sorrow and misfortune. Then he or she answers a longer, prerecorded "interview" with a pair of headphones. If a possible depression pattern is detected in the response, the case manager contacts the parent and arranges for further evaluation.

So far this program has been used in Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, New Hampshire, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Alaska. Generally, the authorities are facing a tough challenge of expanding the plan nationwide, but the results are still full of hope.

Teenagers first need parental consent to take the exam. In five high school screening tests conducted in New York City, more than a third of parents refused to give consent

Parents may consider privacy issues. Testing is usually managed by an external mental health specialist, but the school counselor still provides a list of young people who are likely to have depression problems with young people who took the test. Test results do not affect student's academic performance

Another problem is whether the children under test are laughing at other students, or are they ridiculous? In order to reduce potential prejudice, Mr. Leslie Craft, director of Colombian youth movie program, tests in a special special room separate from the class mate, and if you complete the test beforehand, you must return it to the classroom Stated.

Colombian officials say school counselors will ultimately settle for referrals for children who stress that the problem may occur.

Since 2011, which is the first year in which adolescence suicide rate is higher than adolescence homicide rate, adolescent depression and suicide rates are rising rapidly. Researchers discovered that cell phones have this connection, and teenagers spend more than three hours a day on devices with a 35% risk of suicide. "There is no exception," Twenger wrote. "All screen activities are related to less happiness, and all non-screen activities are related to more happiness." Some of them may be due to screen time opportunity cost. We know that this makes us happy. As Twenty wrote, these devices have changed the meaning of adolescence. For example, in the baby-boomer generation and the X generation, 85% of people participate in the reservation. In the case of iGen, it is only 56%. The high school graduates in 2015 are actually fewer than the 8th grade students in 2009.

There is evidence that screen time too long can harm teenagers. It pushes depression and suicide rates to unprecedented levels. As the number of world smartphones exceeded 50% in 2012, self-esteem, satisfaction with life, and happiness declined sharply. According to a study by Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at the University of San Diego, "It is reported that children who use social media everyday are 13% more likely to report symptoms of depression than children with low social frequency Children are tackling social interaction time, but most of the time on social media is most likely to be depressed. "