Teen suicide rates remain high in Pierce County. Here is how to spot signs, get help
The kids are not all right.
Rates of teen suicide are high in Pierce County, and more youth are reporting feeling nervous, anxious and depressed, to the point where they have stopped doing their usual activities, according to a recent public health study.
In light of September being Suicide Prevention Month, Tuesday morning, Sept. 5, the Pierce County Health and Human Services Committee listened to a series of presentations about suicide rates in Pierce County, especially among youth and military veterans. Suicide remains the second leading cause of death for Washington residents age 15-19 years old, according to the Washington State Department of Health.
According to the 2021 Pierce County Healthy Youth Survey:
In 2021 42% of 10th graders reported feeling so sad or hopeless for two weeks or more that they stopped doing their usual activities
23% of 10th graders seriously considered suicide in the past year
18% of 10th graders made a suicide plan in the past year
10% of 10th graders attempted suicide in the past year
15% reported having no adults to turn to when they feel sad or hopeless
From January to June of this year, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department recorded about 100 hospital visits where a youth attempted suicide, according to a committee presentation. Rural and suburban areas were the sources of most visits, and 80% of the visits involved youth between the ages of 13-16. Most identified as female, poisoning was the most common method and suicidal ideation, depression and COVID exposure were common co-diagnosis.
Since the state started tracking attempted-suicide rates among teens in 2010, that rate grew about 1% every other year until a peak in 2018. In 2018 12.6% of 10th graders reported they had attempted suicide at least once in the past year. The survey was not conducted in 2020, but in 2021 that number had fallen to 10.4%.
Two of the strongest predictors of suicide risk are mental illness and substance abuse, said Ashley Mangum in a Sept. 5 presentation to the county’s behavioral health committee. She is the director of Kids’ Mental Health Pierce County and a behavioral health social worker at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital.
When preventing suicide, it’s important to not take “a blanket approach” because there are a variety of factors that shape the mental health of young people, including at the individual, family, community, environment and societal level, Mangum said.
Among them:
An individual’s age, genetics, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, knowledge, coping skills
One’s relationships with parents and family, financial stability, domestic violence, trauma
One’s relationships with peers, teachers and mentors, faith community, school climate, community support
Neighborhood safety, access to green space, healthy food, housing, health care, pollution, natural disasters, climate change
Societal impacts like social and economic inequalities, discrimination, racism, media and technology, pop culture, governmental policies, migration
Talking with kids about the importance of mental health early diminishes the stigma around suicide, Mangum said. Because suicide risk doesn’t affect all communities equally or in the same way, suicide prevention programs should be based on best research practices, while reflecting community needs and local cultures, she said.
“[Suicide] is a preventable public health problem, and it’s really important to reduce that stigma … it’s not because of an individual weakness or family failure,” Mangum said. “It’s about us being able to recognize and change those factors that we know contribute to suicide such as trauma, isolation, access to lethal means and access to appropriate behavioral health care.”
What issues are impacting youth today?
The prevalence of depression and suicidality among Pierce County youth isn’t a new crisis, Mangum said in an email to the News Tribune. Kids Mental Health Pierce County has been addressing increased behavioral health and mental health needs since 2018, and it had seen an increase in need prior to the pandemic, she said.
Mental health conditions can be shaped by biology — like genes and brain chemistry — and environmental factors, including daily experiences, Mangum said.
In recent years, national surveys of youth have shown major increases in depression and suicidal ideation, according to a 2021 U.S. surgeon General Advisory. While some scientists believe trends in reporting of mental health challenges are up partly due to young people being more willing to openly discuss mental health concerns compared to previous generations, the growing use of digital media, increased academic pressure, limited access to mental health care, alcohol, drug use and broader stressors like rising income inequality, racism, gun violence and climate change likely also play a role, the advisory said.
“I believe the pandemic really shined a light on the silos and challenges that many of us who were already working in the behavioral health system recognized as a failing system,” Mangum said via email.
Claire Helligso is a mental health clinician and social worker at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. Helligso said via email that large-scale societal impacts like national politics and social media also affect youth at a personal level. Data suggests young people are feeling lonelier than ever, and isolation can increase feelings of depression, resulting in social withdrawal, low mood and apathy, which may increase risk of suicide, she said.
Technology has played a big role in mental health, too, Helligso said. Over stimulation from social media use has reduced youth’s cognitive bandwidth and impacted their developing brains with constant dopamine hits and more outlets for distraction, “leaving them with decreased cognitive bandwidth to manage daily stressors like homework, peer issues, family conflict, overall lowering their distress tolerance, leading to more impulsive and internalizing behavior” that can make suicidal ideation or urges to self-harm more intense, she said.
Prior to the internet and social media, kids were raised to depend on community in times of need but, “Now, our first instinct is to Google something if we need help,” Helligso said.
Losing that sense of connection and community lessens our dependence on one another, contributing to more loneliness and less feelings of belonging, she said. It also makes young people less likely to believe people are generally good and helpful, Helligso said.
Common misconceptions about suicide
▪ Talking about suicide won’t lead to or encourage suicide, said Nicole Ayres, clinic director of the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Valley Cities in a Sept. 5 presentation to the human services committee. In fact, talking about suicide reduces the stigma that often acts as a barrier for people to seek help. Asking about suicide often can give people other options or time to rethink their decision, she said.
▪ It is not necessarily true that someone who is suicidal is determined to die. People who are suicidal are often ambivalent about living or dying, Ayres said. Many people act on impulse, even though they would have liked to live on but want to end their suffering, she said.
▪ People who talk about suicide do not mean to do it. Oftentimes people who talk about suicide are attempting to find help or support, Ayres said. Many people are experiencing anxiety, depression and hopelessness and feel there is no other option, she said.
What are warning signs of suicidal ideation?
According to John’s Hopkins School of Medicine, many of the warning signs of teen suicide are also symptoms of depression. They include changes in eating and sleeping habits, loss of interest in usual activities, withdrawal from family and friends, alcohol and drug use, unnecessary risk taking, loss of interest in school or schoolwork, problems focusing, acting-out behaviors and running away.
Another warning sign is making plans or efforts to commit suicide, like saying, “I want to kill myself,” or giving verbal hints like, “I won’t be a problem much longer,” or “If anything happens to me, I want you to know …”
Additional signs could include giving away or throwing away important belongings or possessions, becoming suddenly cheerful after a period of depression or writing suicide notes.
What can you do if you think someone is contemplating suicide?
▪ Pay attention to warning signs.
▪ If someone is showing warning signs, don’t be afraid to ask them directly, “Are you thinking about killing yourself?” Using the word “suicide” won’t plant the idea of self harm into their head, according to the Washington State Department of Health. Ask them if they’ve thought about how they would kill themselves, and separate them from anything they could use to hurt themselves. Safely store guns, alcohol and medications. You can learn more from Washington’s Safer Homes Coalition
▪ Seek help from a mental health professional. Call 9-8-8 to get connected to free and confidential support for you or your loved ones 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Dial 988 and press 1 to get connected to crisis support for veterans or text 838255. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline also has a Spanish language phone line at 888-628-9454.
▪ If someone close to you tells you they’re contemplating suicide, be there for them and listen to their feelings with compassion and empathy, not judgment, and check in regularly. Now Matters Now has videos from people who have experienced suicidal thoughts sharing what individuals can do to help manage those thoughts.
What resources are available in Pierce County?
▪ The Pierce County Crisis Line, for non-life threatening but urgent behavioral health crisis calls is 1-800-576-7764
▪ Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department offers a teen Mental Health First Aid training to help teens and others identify, understand and respond to mental health and substance use challenges among friends and peers. It’s targeted toward teens grades 10-12 or ages 15-18.
▪ Behavior Bridges offers preventative crisis intervention services, including caregiver training, school district consultations and social groups in South Hill. Call 253-262-3409 or visit https://behaviorbridges.com/ to learn more.
▪ NAMI Pierce County provides support, education, advocacy and public awareness for people and families affected by mental illness. Visit https://namipierce.org/ to learn more.
▪ Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula Suicide Prevention Coalition offers a support group for survivors of suicide, training and more. Visit https://hope4you.org/ to learn more.
▪ Mary Bridge’s Youth Engagement Services Pierce County is a collaborative treatment model designed to reduce gaps in care and support services after a behavioral health crisis by providing screening and assessments to determine a youth’s ongoing needs. Learn more at https://kidsmentalhealthpiercecounty.org/yes/.
▪ The Washington Department of Health also has a number of resources for those who have lost a loved one to suicide or are supporting a loved one after a suicide attempt. Visit https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/injury-and-violence-prevention/suicide-prevention/grief-support to learn more.
This story was originally published September 6, 2023 at 10:48 AM.
