September 2019 Our Health


Teen Suicide: Understanding the Risk and Getting Help


Creamy Vegan Potato Leek Soup


BY NIH.GOV Teenagers have their whole lives


ahead of them, they’re often told. The idea that a teen could be thinking about ending that life might be hard for their friends, families, or other people in their community to believe.


But the risk of suicide should be


on the radar of anyone who interacts with teens, says Dr. Jane Pearson, a mental health expert at NIH.


The rate of teen suicide has


increased over the last decade. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death for teens and young adults in the United States.


Experts don’t know why this


rate has been rising. But NIH-funded researchers are working on better ways to find and help teens who are thinking of suicide.


“There are some very effective


treatments for youth who are suicidal,” Pearson explains. “We’re trying to figure out how to make those treatments more accessible for more youth.”


Who’s at Risk? Many things can increase the risk


of suicide in teenagers. One major risk factor is experiencing a mental health issue like depression, anxiety, or trauma. Most people who die by suicide have struggled with a mental health condition.


Other risk factors include a


family history of suicide, violence, or substance abuse. Teens also experience many stressful life events for the first time. These can include a breakup with a romantic partner, trouble at school, violence, or conflicts with friends.


“Teens don’t have the life


experience to know that these things will be temporary, that they’ll get through it,” Pearson says. And they might think they’d rather be dead than feel the way they do at that moment in time, she adds.


Persistent misunderstandings


about suicide can also keep teens from getting the help they need, adds Pearson.


“Many people think that a teen


talking about or attempting suicide are so-called gestures, or cries for attention,” Pearson explains. They don’t think that the teen is in real danger.


“That’s definitely a myth,”


says Dr. Cheryl King, a suicide- prevention researcher at the University of Michigan. “If someone has been repeatedly suicidal or talking about it for a long time, that should have us more concerned rather than less concerned.”


Knowing When Teens Need Help Some of the warning signs that


a teen is thinking about suicide are talking about wanting to die, feeling hopeless, or being trapped or in unbearable pain (see the Wise Choices box for more signs).


If you are concerned about a


teen who may be thinking about suicide, start a conversation, says Dr. Joan Asarnow, a suicide-prevention researcher and clinical psychologist at the University of California, Los Angeles.


“A conversation can just start


with ‘are you OK?’ or ‘is there something that feels like it’s too big of a problem?’” Asarnow explains.


Pearson recommends that people


start these conversations early, when they first start to feel that something’s wrong with a teen. “It’s going to be easier to help somebody before they’ve really decided on a course of action to kill themselves,” she says.


But many teens have suicidal


thoughts that go unrecognized. King and other NIH-funded researchers are studying ways to better identify teens at risk of suicide.


King is testing a new method to


screen teens who come into hospital emergency rooms for suicide risk. While most teens don’t see a mental health specialist, she says, “roughly 1 in 5 goes to the emergency department at least once a year. So, it’s a particularly good place for suicide-risk screening.”


This is especially true because


risk-taking behaviors such as substance abuse and dangerous driving can land teens in the emergency room, King explains. And teens who engage in such behaviors are at higher risk of suicide.


Other researchers are looking


at ways to use technology to identify when teens already known to be at risk of suicide are most vulnerable. For example, one team is testing whether


TEEN SUICIDE PAGE 14 Ingredients


4 potatoes 1 large leek 3 cloves garlic


0,5 liter vegetable stock 0,5 liter water, or more if needed Salt, pepper Parsley Bay leaf


1 tbs olive oil Instructions


Cut leek in half lenght-wise and wash thor- oughly between leaves. Drain and cut into slices. Peel potatoes and dice. Peel and slice garlic cloves.


Heat a pot on medium and add a table- spoon of olive oil. When heated, add sliced leek and stir-fry for a minute, until the leeks turn a bright green color. Then, add diced potatoes and garlic slices. Cook for anoth- er minute or two, stirring regularly to make sure the vegetables do not stick to the pot, then add vegetable stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste, add bay leaf and chopped parsley and cook until the pota- toes turn soft. If needed, add more water while cooking.


When the vegetables are cooked, remove the bay leaf and puree with a stick blender until creamy. If the soup is too thick, add more water and blend quickly to combine. Taste the soup and season with more salt and pepper to taste.


Serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.


This Vegan Potato Leek Soup is creamy and filling, just the perfect soup for cold winter days!


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