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Program teaches people to be suicide gatekeepers
YOUNGSTOWN
The smallest word of encouragement could provide a very big positive impact on someone considering suicide.
That is one of the primary things that Rosie Deslandes, a clinical supervisor at Alta Behavioral Healthcare, took away from a presentation on QPR, a suicide prevention gatekeeper program, and roundtable discussion about suicide Wednesday at her place of employment.
“The biggest thing is not to be apprehensive that by talking to someone about suicide you might put the thought into some’s head,” said Deslandes of Canfield, a graduate of Wilson High School and Youngstown State University.
“Even kids can help their peers,” said Jamie Miller, Alta clinical director.
Suicide is the second-leading cause of deaths in youth and young adults, said Angela Kearns, mental health liaison at Alta, who presented the program. QPR is an acronym for Question ... a person about suicide; Persuade ... someone to get help, and Refer ... someone to the appropriate resource.
The program is designed to train gatekeepers that, with these three simple steps, anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide, said Kearns. Gatekeepers can be parents, peers, clergy or co-workers, among others.
“QPR-trained gatekeepers learn how to recognize suicide warning signs, how to offer hope, and know how to get help and save a life,” said Kearns, who cited some statistics about suicide.
Worldwide, 800,000 die annually of suicide, incluging 40,000 Americans. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people ages 10-34, said Kearns.
Also, she said, there is a connection between depression and suicide.
“Everyone who commits suicide is depressed,” she said.
Among symptoms of depression are frequent sadness, tearfulness and crying; feelings of hopelessness; angry behavior; decreased interest in activities; low self-esteem; poor concentration, and difficulty with relationships, she said.
Suicide risk factors include stress; chemical imbalance in the brain; family history; feeling unsafe; parent with depression; drugs and alcohol; and self-harm.
Kearns said there are several myths about suicide. These include: Suicidal people keep their plans to themselves; those who talk about suicide don’t do it, and once a person decides to commit suicide, nothing can stop them.
Direct verbal clues include when people say: “I wish I were dead; and I’m going to commit suicide; who cares if I’m dead,” said Kearns.
Tips to ask questions about suicide include: “Have you been unhappy lately; do you ever wish you could go to sleep and not wake up; and are you thinking about killing yourself. Don’t lecture because they will shut down,” she said.
Any organization can request QPR training on how to help prevent suicides, Kearns said.