Hearing held on youth suicides
CHICAGO (AP) – Struggling to come to grips with the recent suicides of three children, Illinois lawmakers gathered a dozen experts Friday to talk about how to prevent future tragedies.
From calls for increased funding to more prevention programs at even earlier ages, the message was clear that more needs to be done to identify at-risk children and get them help.
Experts say it’s more important than ever as many families struggle to cope with a widening recession, an anxiety that can pass to children.
“We are living at an incredibly stressful time in this country and studies have shown that there is an effect on kids’ brains that have been chronically exposed to stress and that ultimately it can lead to ... development of mental health disorders or issues,” said Dr. Diahann Meekins Moore, associate director for psychiatric services at the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services.
The rush for a very public discussion of youth suicides came in the wake of three suicides last month by children 11 and younger. By comparison, eight Illinois children 11 and younger committed suicide in the eight years between 2000 and 2007, DCFS said.
In February, the Cook County medical examiner ruled a 10-year-old boy killed himself at his Evanston school. A day later, an 11-year-old boy died in Chatham. Later that same month, an 11-year-old girl was found dead in her Chicago home, DCFS said.
Suicide is uncommon in children – but not unheard of.
More than 200 U.S. children aged 10 through 14 killed themselves each year between 1999 and 2005, the latest data available from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A total of 270 boys and girls committed suicide in 2005, or 1.28 per 100,000 children in that 10 to 14 age range. Suicide is more common in boys; 202 of the deaths in 2005 were boys and 68 were girls.
Incidence in this age range has fluctuated since 1999, with no clear upward trend.
Some children commit suicide with no warning signs. But experts say there are symptoms to look for that can signal a child is at risk. These include depression, discussion of suicidal thoughts, alcohol or drug abuse, frequently running away, and avoiding family and friends.
Bullying may have been a factor in two of the recent suicide cases in Illinois, Moore said.
The vast majority of young people who commit suicide also have psychiatric disorders, Moore said, so it’s possible the three Illinois children who killed themselves could have had conditions that were undiagnosed.
There needs to be more public awareness of mental health and emotional issues and suicide prevention, experts said.
“We have to educate and empower our youth and break down the stigma surrounding mental illnesses and suicide in order to save lives,” said Carol Wozniewski, executive director of Mental Health America of Illinois.
More attention also needs to be paid to gay and transgendered young people who can be at risk for suicide, said Dr. Robert Garofalo, director of adolescent HIV services at Chicago’s Children’s Memorial Hospital.
