>>VIC MICOLUCCI: WE’RE TACKLING THE DIFFICULT TOPIC OF SUICIDE AS NUMBERS RISE AT
STARTLING RATES, ESPECIALLY
AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE AS A
SUICIDE RATES JUMPED 33%
BETWEEN 1999 AND 2000, 19. AND
THERE WAS A SMALL DECREASE IN
2020, BUT TO PUT IT INTO
PERSPECTIVE, 46,000 PEOPLE
DIED BY SUICIDE IN
TWENTY-TWENTY. THAT’S 1600
FEWER THAN THE YEAR SO IT’S
ENCOURAGING, BUT IT’S STILL
DISTURBING NOW. HE’S JOINING
US NOW IN MEL THERE. THERE’S
STILL SOMETHING THAT THESE
NUMBERS DON’T SHOW. YEAH, YOU
KNOW, YOU A DROP, EVEN IF IT’S
SMALL AND YOU KNOW THAT THAT
COULD BE LOOKED AT AS
POSITIVE. BUT SOME GROUPS SAW
HUGE INCREASES IN SUICIDE
NUMBERS. YOUNG PEOPLE OF
COLOR, NOTABLY BLACK PEOPLE
AGED 15 TO 34 AND HISPANIC
PEOPLE. 25 TO 34 SAW
DOUBLE-DIGIT INCREASES.
>>LAUREN VERNO: AND SUICIDE
RATES IN 2020. NOW, JEN, YOU
ALSO MENTIONED THAT 46,000
PEOPLE DIED BY SUICIDE, BUT
THE CDC ESTIMATES 1.38 MILLION
PEOPLE ATTEMPT. IT. NOW THERE
IS NO SINGLE CAUSE OF SUICIDE.
WHILE DEPRESSION IS THE MOST
COMMON CONDITION ASSOCIATED
WITH IT, IT IS OFTEN
UNDIAGNOSED OR UNTREATED. SO
PEOPLE ARE LEFT WITH NO
RESOURCES. SO SOME OF THE
HEALTH RISKS INVOLVED IN
SUICIDE THINGS TO WATCH OUT
FOR ANXIETY ALREADY MOOD
CHANGES OR EVEN A HEALTH
PROBLEM THAT IS PAINFUL CAN
PUT PEOPLE AT RISK. ALL RIGHT,
TAKING A LOOK AT SOME OF THE
ENVIRONMENTAL RISK, WHAT
THEY’RE AROUND, HAVING ACCESS
TO FIREARMS OR DRUGS.
LONG-TERM HARASSMENT AT SCHOOL
BULLYING. MAYBE IT’S A RATE
LAY SHUN SHIP PROBLEM. THEY
JUST CAN’T MOVE PAST SOMETHING
STRESSFUL LIKE A DIVORCE OR IN
THIS CASE, MAYBE FAMILY
FINANCIAL CRISIS. ONE
INDICATOR OF SUICIDE RIGHT NOW
IS THAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE
LOST LOVED ONES BECAUSE OF
THIS PANDEMIC AND ALSO JOBS
AND THEN EXPOSURE TO ANOTHER
PERSON, SUICIDE OR GRAPHIC OR
SENSATIONALIZED ACCOUNTS OF
SUICIDE. NOW, LET’S TALK ABOUT
THE HISTORICAL FACTORS TO LOOK
OUT FOR A PREVIOUS ATTEMPT.
MAYBE A FAMILY HISTORY OF
SUICIDE OR CHILDHOOD ABUSE OR
NEGLECT OR TRAUMA. IF YOU KNOW
THOSE THINGS THAT HAPPENED,
THAT PERSON JUST BY NATURE IS
THAT RISKS. NOW, THERE ARE
WAYS TO PROTECT AND INTERVENE
TO GET IN THERE. BEFORE WE GET
TO THIS LEVEL CONNECTION TO
FAMILY AND FAMILIAL SUPPORT.
IF YOUR KID IS GOING AWAY
EVERY DAY AND THEY’RE ON THE
INTERNET, YOU’RE NOT HAVING
THAT INTERACTION WITH THEM.
BREAK THAT HAVE SOME
CONNECTION WITH THEM. THOSE
TOUCH POINTS TEACHING PROBLEM
SOLVING AND COPING SKILLS AT A
VERY YOUNG AGE. MY SARIS 9
NOW. BUT WE GO THROUGH THIS.
I’VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS
BECAUSE I SEE SOMETIMES HE
GETS THIS ANXIETY ALSO LIMIT
ACCESS TO GUNS OR DANGEROUS
PILLS, ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
ALSO BE PROACTIVE ABOUT MENTAL
HEALTH. YOU’VE GOT TO HAVE
THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND WE’RE
GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT LATER
THIS WEEK WHEN IT COMES TO
WARNING SIGNS, THOUGH, I
TALKED WITH A COUNSELOR FROM
CHILDREN’S HOME SOCIETY WHO
SAID YOU CANNOT JUST CHALK
EVERYTHING UP TO THEM BEING A
TEENAGER. YOU HAVE TO STUDY
YOUR CHILD. YOU KNOW, I THINK
A LOT OF PARENTS KIND OF
THINK, OH, THAT’S JUST NORMAL
TEENAGE BEHAVIOR. AND HOW DO
YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN SOME
OF THAT JUST GROWING PAINS
VERSUS THAT THERE’S ACTUALLY A
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE.
>> ALWAYS HAVE OPEN
CONVERSATION WITH YOUR CHILD
HAPPENED. BUILD THAT
RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM. AS A
PARENT, YOU’RE THE EXPERT. IF
YOUR CHILD TO LOT OF THE
TIMES, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT YOU’RE THERE TALKING AND
NOTICING JUST A LITTLE BIT OF
A DIFFERENCE I’M YOUR RIGHT.
THERE COULD BE TIMES WHERE THE
CHALLENGE IS GROWING. AND BUT
THE SAME TIME WE WANT TO MAKE
SURE YOU HAVE THOSE
CONVERSATIONS EVERYTHING. ALL
RIGHT. EVERYTHING GOING GOOD
TO MAKE SURE THE CHILD IS
FEELS LIKE THEY’RE STILL BEING
HEARD WHEN THEY’RE GOING TO
THIS. THESE CHANGES THESE 2
YEARS.
>>LAUREN VERNO: ALL RIGHT. SO
WHAT YOU KEEP THESE 3 THINGS
IN MIND? I KNOW I WILL MY
YOUNG ONES. YOU WANT TO TALK.
WANT TO WATCH FOR THOSE
BEHAVIORAL CHANGES IN ANY MOOD
CHANGES. THESE ARE ALL REASONS
THAT YOU JUST MIGHT WANT TO
GET SOME HELP. SO MANY
RESOURCES OUT THERE. SO AS I
MENTIONED, THIS IS A TOPIC
THAT IS VERY PERSONAL TO ME.
LATE LAST YEAR, DEAR FRIEND OF
MINE SON TOOK HIS LIFE. IT WAS
SURREAL. IT WAS DEVASTATING AS
WE WERE PREPARING FOR THE
MEMORIAL, THE FUNERAL HOME
THAT WE WERE USING REACHED OUT
AND SAID THIS IS NOT AN
ISOLATED INCIDENT. THEY ALSO
EXPLAIN THEY HAD NEVER SEEN SO
MANY FUNERALS CREDIT TO
SUICIDE AND SOMETHING HAD TO
BE DONE. IN FACT, THE DAY OF
HIS MEMORIAL RIGHT IN THE
OTHER ROOM. THAT WAS THE
MOTHER HOLDING A VIEWING FOR
HER 15 YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER WHO
DIED BY SUICIDE. SO THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO TALK
ABOUT.
>> ANGRY IN SOME SENSE, A
SURGES, HORRIBLY SAD. YOU
KNOW, THERE’S SOME
EMBARRASSMENT AS WELL, DO IT
WHEN THERE’S ALL THESE
DIFFERENT EMOTIONS THAT A
FAMILY CAN GO THROUGH. A LOT
OF FAMILIES DON’T LIKE TO TALK
ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO
KEEP.
>>LAUREN VERNO: KEEP IT
PRIVATE MONTHS. THE FAMILY.
>>MELANIE LAWSON: WHEN TO TALK
MORE ABOUT WHY PEOPLE DON’T
CANDIDLY TALK ABOUT MENTAL
HEALTH.
>>LAUREN VERNO: ALSO HAVE TO
START THOSE HONEST
CONVERSATIONS THAT COULD SAVE
A LIFE EVERY DAY. THIS WEEK WE
ARE PROVIDING RESOURCES. WE’RE
GOING TO ROLE PLAY. HAD TO
HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR
KIDS. HOW TO HAVE KIDS GOING
TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH
EACH OTHER. AND THEN WHAT IF
YOUR KID BRINGS A PROBLEM TO
YOU SAYING, YOU KNOW, I THINK
A FRIEND IS SUICIDAL. WE WANT
THE RESOURCES AS WELL. THERE
ARE SO MANY OUT THERE AND THEY
ARE FREE. THANKS FOR THE
ENTIRE FAMILY. AND THEN
FINALLY ON FRIDAY, WE’RE GOING
TO DO A PHONE BANK TO ANSWER
YOUR MENTAL HEALTH QUESTIONS.