RCN America Network wants to the time to share the following article by Dalene Dutton, the executive director of Five Town Communities That CareOn Aug. 22, I wrote a widely-shared article about one of the factors that increase the risk for suicide for adolescents (media contagion). I shared that I was motivated to do this because I have mourned the death of far too many of our community's young people. I don't want to have to mourn another, especially if the loss is due to suicide. Not only because the loss is so tragic, but because people suffering from depression and anxiety—and from suicidal ideation—can be successfully treated if reached in time.
I continue to speak out so that more members of our community will learn about warning signs and how to bridge those who need help to those places with the expertise to provide it. As I stated in my last article, suicidal behavior is complex and frightening and the frequency of suicide in Maine is real cause for concern; there is one suicide every two days on average. For Mainers aged 15-34 years of age it is the second leading cause of death. As frightening as it is to talk about, for me it is more frightening to do nothing.
As always, I encourage local readers to visit the Maine Suicide Prevention Project's website at http://www.maine.gov/suicide/about/index.htm , as it contains a lot of important information and links to local resources for help. You can also visit The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention by going to http://www.afsp.org/.
I don't believe that we can stop at learning about warning signs and resources. There is considerable evidence that we can prevent suicide and other tragic behaviors before they cause pain and suffering. I am writing again because media contagion is not the only risk factor contributing to youth suicide. In fact, there are several.
Transitions and mobility can increase the risk for suicidal ideation — and for substance abuse, violence, delinquency, and school drop out. Most adults I speak with understand that constantly moving from one community to another (as military families or agricultural workers are often forced to do) can contribute to a higher likelihood that the children of those families will experience problem behaviors. They understand that uprooting families can lead to the loss of the kinds of supports that come from spending enough time in a place to develop healthy relationships with community members outside of the family unit. We know that we need to reach out and actively help children who have recently moved to our community so they might find their niche and connect with effective mentors here.
What I find often overlooked is the other part of the label... transitions. Adolescents undergo a staggering
