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Suicide in the schools; 4 / 1000 kids at LPS threaten suicide
Topic Started: Jun 23 2009, 09:38 PM (1,156 Views)
LPS Reformer
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The schools exist to educate, not employ.
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Why do so many Michigan youths ponder suicide?
Brighton boy's hanging death led to special legislation
BY MEGHA SATYANARAYANA • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER • June 23, 2009

On a February evening in 2003, while his dad fixed dinner, 12-year-old Chase Edwards hanged himself in an upstairs bathroom.

His father, Jeff Edwards of Brighton, said no one -- friends, family or teachers -- had realized Chase was not just a moody kid. In hindsight, Edwards said, the artistic boy, who would have turned 19 last Thursday, had left several clues no one connected.

"People were surprised and shocked, thinking it must have been a mistake," he said.

Michigan youths are more likely than the average American youth to attempt suicide, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In its last survey in 2007, 9% of Michigan youths surveyed admitted attempting suicide (compared to a national average of 7%) and 27% said they had been depressed.

The Edwards family fought for a law in their son's name encouraging Michigan schools to teach about depression and suicide awareness, but it's largely unenforced -- even as federal officials say suicide is the third leading killer of teens in the United States.

In March, a federal task force made a landmark recommendation that all youths be screened for depression.

But the Edwards family and others said they believe by the time some kids get help, it's too late. They believe the conversation has to start in schools.

Little funding, few requirements hinder efforts
When Laurie Graf asks a morning health class at Tower High School in Warren Woods to describe people with mental illness, the Michigan School of Professional Psychology student nods as the teens throw out "crazy," "nuts" and "psycho."


The 30-year-old asks if she looks crazy, and two dozen heads shake no.


Then Graf reveals she's struggled with depression and suicide. The mood in the class shifts. The ninth- and tenth-graders start asking questions.


This is the dialogue that Graf, a suicide prevention counselor, is looking for.


The candid conversation at Tower High is what many Michigan mental health advocates want to have in every school, but they aren't getting it, despite what teens have revealed about their mental health in surveys given by the Michigan Department of Education.


Last year, 25% of tri-county high school students admitted that they showed symptoms of depression; 9% said they had tried to kill themselves.


Suicide is predominantly traced to depression, psychiatrists say. But advocates say it is still a struggle to convince parents and educators the subject belongs in classrooms.


"Most schools don't think it's a problem, until it's a problem," said Lanny Berman, executive director of the American Association of Suicidology, based in Washington, D.C.


Michigan's joblessness, homelessness and hopelessness fuels teen depression, and using school time for mental health education might help catch it early, said Dr. David Rosenberg, chairman of psychiatry at Children's Hospital of Michigan.


Otherwise, by the time teens look for help, they're talking about making nooses and holding guns in their mouths, said Dr. Paul Quinlan, a child psychiatrist at Michigan State University.


Only a handful of the teens in the Tower High class said they'd talked about depression and suicide with a parent. And many parents are confused, oblivious or in denial when it comes to the existence of teen depression.


Some fear suicide prevention in schools will trigger an avalanche of teen suicides. Advocates of suicide prevention education are skeptical of such a possibility.


"You can't plant the idea of suicide in somebody if they aren't suicidal," Rosenberg said.


The 2006 Chase Edwards Law encourages Michigan educators to teach suicide prevention in schools, but it doesn't mandate it -- even with school surveys showing that the percentage of depressed and suicidal teens has barely changed in Michigan since 2001.

Getting creative
The law goes unenforced in part because no funding is attached to it. Schools and districts can individually decide whether they'll broach depression, either through state-provided materials or through presentations like Graf's, who works with MINDS: Shining Light on Mental Health, based in Southfield.


In 2000, the Macomb Intermediate School District started working with Yellow Ribbon, a national organization that teaches kids about the signs of suicide and how to get help. Presenters hand out cards that have a plea for help written on them in the hope that teens in need will give the cards to an adult who can help.


Dakota High School in Macomb Township is trying to set up peer-to-peer counseling. Last fall, it also hosted a walk to raise funds and awareness for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.


Dawn Hurley, who teaches health classes at Pioneer Middle School in Plymouth, weaves discussions about depression and suicide into classes on death and grief. She talks about how sadness is normal, but prolonged sadness isn't, and how to seek help.


At Tower High, Graf said depression and suicide can be healed, like a broken bone. She rattles off symptoms, including two weeks of bad moods, falling grades, and casting off old friends for new ones.


The impact is immediate. Nearly every student raises their hand when asked whether they now know someone at risk of suicide. Their health teacher, Shannon Tonkin, asks Graf what to do if a suicidal teen tells another to keep that secret.


"You've definitely got to ruin the friendship," Graf said.


Mitchell Jowers, a 15-year-old Tower student, said he wouldn't keep silent.


"People don't want to live with the fact that ... you never see your friend again, and ... you could have prevented it," he said.


Still, kids can get lost.


Days after a seminar on the signs of suicide at Emerson Middle School in Livonia, a student tried to kill himself. Health teacher Lorraine Giorgino said she believes the student, who did not attend the seminar, had talked with friends about hurting himself. If such a conversation had been overheard on campus, she says, he would have been sent to a counselor, where his parents would have been called and a treatment plan developed right away.


The parents "were keeping an eye on him, but you can't watch kids 24/7," she said.

Numerous obstacles
For suicide prevention to succeed in schools, advocates and counselors say they need supportive administrations and uniform reporting of threats.


Livonia Public Schools, for example, report any drawings, writings or jokes that hint at suicide to a state school safety database. That cautious approach is why during the 2007-08 school year, district staff reported 35 threats of suicide at Cooper Upper Elementary School and eight at Johnson Upper Elementary School.


The Free Press analyzed reported suicide threat data for every Michigan school district in 2007-08 and found four of every 1,000 Livonia students threatened to kill themselves on school property. It's the highest rate among the state's 10 largest districts and twice the rate of the next closest district. But without knowing whether other schools are as vigilant, or even report suicide threat data, Livonia schools are likely just better at reporting their data than actually having more students susceptible to depression and suicide.


Administrators can also skew data by choosing to administer a version of the MDE survey that does not include questions about sex and suicide, MDE school health and safety consultant Bob Higgins said.


In addition, the state's health curriculum, which covers everything from nutrition to anger management, has decades-old sections in need of updating, including more guidance on talking about depression, said Michigan Department of Education Safety Coordinator Kyle Guerrant.


But even if school administrations are willing to implement frank mental health discussions, parents have to agree to put aside feelings that depression doesn't exist and their child is not affected, said Rosenberg.


Sometimes, schools have to be aggressive in tackling parents' fears, as seen in Lake City Schools, near Cadillac. After six teens in Wexford and Misaukee counties killed themselves during the 2004-05 school year, Lake City Middle and High School met some resistance from parents on suicide prevention. The schools' counselor, Nicole Richardson, said they called those parents to say that their child may be fine, but if a friend isn't, their child should know how to help.


Permission slips flowed in, and suicide prevention is now part of the schools' curriculum.

Posted Image
Contact MEGHA SATYANARAYANA: 313-223-4544 or megha@freepress.com




“Child Abuse” means different things to different people....
----Randy Liepa 8/9/12
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LPS_MOM10
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This is a good article. Thanks for posting it here. It's nice to know that LPS is above the curve in handling these cases. I hope they realize that they can actually accomplish something good without spending a ton of money. This article proves that.
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Mrs.M
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Jun 23 2009, 09:38 PM
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The Free Press analyzed reported suicide threat data for every Michigan school district in 2007-08 and found four of every 1,000 Livonia students threatened to kill themselves on school property. It's the highest rate among the state's 10 largest districts and twice the rate of the next closest district. But without knowing whether other schools are as vigilant, or even report suicide threat data, Livonia schools are likely just better at reporting their data than actually having more students susceptible to depression and suicide.


Administrators can also skew data by choosing to administer a version of the MDE survey that does not include questions about sex and suicide, MDE school health and safety consultant Bob Higgins said.


It's the highest rate among the state's 10 largest districts and twice the rate of the next closest district. But without knowing whether other schools are as vigilant, or even report suicide threat data, Livonia schools are likely just better at reporting their data than actually having more students susceptible to depression and suicide.


I'm glad the reporter quantified and qualified Livonia's highest rate ranking.
I'd agree with you, but then we'd both be WRONG.
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Ms. AK
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Why isn't LPS making this known to LPS parents? Note how it's happening at the upper els. This is seriously disturbing.
Krome on Cars

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Whatever
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Anna Krome
Jun 24 2009, 10:28 AM
Why isn't LPS making this known to LPS parents? Note how it's happening at the upper els. This is seriously disturbing.
You would think it would be in the higher grades---not at elementary schools. I wonder if the rates were this high in the k-6 configuration. Seems very odd to me. Are these pre-middle schools put more stress/pressure on kids?????
Edited by Whatever, Jun 24 2009, 12:47 PM.
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Ms. AK
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None at Riley, 8 at Johnson and a whopping 35 at Cooper. Did only the upper els report these suicide concerns? None from the high schools? Is some data missing from the article?

BUT, why so many at Cooper? Are any alarm bells going off at the BOE? What if a child does something to hurt themselves and it is attributed to "isolation" issues at the megas?

Are the megas creating this serious problem?
Krome on Cars

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Domestic Diva
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This is a very good informational article about suicide but it does not talk about what the causes the thoughts of suicide. I am not sure of the accurate statistics but what percentage of those students consider themselves - gay or some other alternative? How many of them have single parents? How many of them have both parents working for every last dollar they make? What would be causing such a high number of students especially at Cooper to threaten suicide? There has to be some sort of common link here.
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Ms. AK
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I remain seriously concerned about this. I just wish it didn't take the Free Press to bring it to my attention.

It seems to me that in the best interest of our precious students--all parents, caregivers and teachers should be aware of this.

Why hasn't LPS informed us that at Cooper, especially, our children need to be aware of what their peers may be saying, drawing, etc.

I feel let-down by LPS--again. This is serious, and I will be doing more investigation.

I'd also like to commend LPS for at least informing the state of the situation. They took a risk to report this, and it may very well save a child's life.
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Ms. AK
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After this thread was started, I began researching LPS' suicide threat data to better understand what its significance is. Cooper has a very high number of 35 instances. I contacted the MDE and LPS for comment.

The MDE's Robert Higgins, Safe Schools Consultant/Project Director, said:

"Yes, I can point you in the right direction, but it’s not going to be easy. And first, there’s a caveat:

"In both cases, we’re only asking about suicide threats, attempts or completions that occur at school or a school-sponsored activity. That seriously limits the numbers. Suicides at school are extremely rare. Adolescent suicides and/or attempts are much more likely to happen at home, or some other site. This also gives us no handle on depressed, bullied, harassed, or hazed students, who may end up attempting or completing a suicide.

"The data on suicide comes from two fields in the School Infrastructure Database. The first field, field 23, is threat/attempt of suicide. The definition says, 'Indicate the number of incidents over the past school year when an individual threatened or attempted to commit suicide on school property or at a school-sponsored activity. These threats could be in the form of any verbal or written communication.' The second field, field 24, is suicide. The definition says, 'Indicate the number of incidents over the past school year when an individual committed suicide on school property or at a school-sponsored activity.'"


Here is the link to the MDE's chart:
http://www.michigan.gov/cepi/0,1607,7-113-21423_30415---,00.html

Here is the LPS school breakdown of suicide threat data:

Cooper UL: 35
NW Wayne Skill Center: 12
Johnson UL: 8
Cleveland EL: 7
Garfield: 2
Riley UL: 1
Emerson Middle: 1


No other school, including the high schools, reported any other instances.

This is the comment from LPS on the subject:

"First, the figures for Cooper - and all of our schools - are not for suicide attempts. The MDE survey is for the 2008 number of referrals for any risk assessments resulting from student statements about harming oneself, including jokes or off-handed comments. LPS is very cautious and vigilant about reporting anything which sounds like suicide, referring students immediately for a staff assessment, which includes contacting parents. When the principals at Cooper reported those referrals, none of those students had attempted suicide. I think the Free Press brought out LPS's caution and care in the article pretty well!

"Second, as you know, we have a comprehensive suicide prevention programs and efforts in place in our district. If you would like more information about our programs, just let me know and I'll refer you to a person in our Student Services department.

"Thanks for checking in on this topic - we want parents to know that our staff is always looking out for their child and partnering with them in any risk situation!"


Thank you, LPS and MDE, for answering my questions.

Krome on Cars

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Micki
I love teaching.
As a parent, I think it is something we should discuss at home. My kid's teachers can teach them their academics... I will make sure they receive the other. I think a kid that is considering suicide wouldn't want to talk about it in an open forum and needs one-on-one counseling. Teacher's are not qualified to make a medical diagnosis and I don't want them to. My past Livonia experiences leaves me very uncomfortable with know-it-all administrator's and teachers.
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Momof4
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Micki
Aug 13 2009, 09:34 AM
As a parent, I think it is something we should discuss at home. My kid's teachers can teach them their academics... I will make sure they receive the other. I think a kid that is considering suicide wouldn't want to talk about it in an open forum and needs one-on-one counseling. Teacher's are not qualified to make a medical diagnosis and I don't want them to. My past Livonia experiences leaves me very uncomfortable with know-it-all administrator's and teachers.
I agree with you. I think the parents should be primary resources for many things, working in conjunction with the schools with both sides watching for signs and open communication.

I fear that too many parents of kids today aren't "parenting" and believe difficult conversations and lessons should be taught at school. They don't get the concept of parenting... probably with the exception of us on this blog. They want to be buddies with their kids, instead of parent. They are afraid that they will "not be liked" if they set expectations and consequences... only wanting to focus on the reward part of raising children. I see it everyday.

Having a conversation of this magnitude and seriousness doesn't fall under their limited list of duties, they want the counselors at school to do that. It's wrong to put it all on the schools and as you put it, the LPS history leaves me uncomfortable, too.

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Ms. AK
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I don't understand Cooper's 35 instances. Plus, note that the problem also occurs at the 2 other ULs. Why are 10, 11, 12-year-olds having this problem? LPS skirted that issue in their response, IMO. Is this some sort of an indictment of the problem w/ULs?

Mr. King told me he thought it was an indicator that youngsters are in what amounts to middle schools--and that is causing behavior issues. He tells me that he and Ms. Mang are proposing a K-5; 6,7,8 configuration. I would support that, but I have no hope, considering the stranglehold Mr. Liepa has on the other BOE members. Although I do sense, Mr. Oke may be more in the middle.

Can anyone provide any input on the ULs, and what may be going on there in regard to behavior issues?


The Skill Center--I can understand--somewhat. Those are teens, but no other HS indicates an issue.

Cooper UL: 35
NW Wayne Skill Center: 12
Johnson UL: 8
Cleveland EL: 7
Garfield: 2
Riley UL: 1
Emerson Middle: 1
Krome on Cars

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