Journal Riders Blog

 About 250 students, teachers, social workers and administrators from 28 high schools throughout Nassau County focused on issues such as mental health toolkit, building self-esteem and positive coping skills during Long Island’s first Youth Wellness Summit on Tuesday. The daylong event in Merrick was organized by 20-year-old Adelphi University student Stacy Brief of Bellmore, a Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide ( https://sptsusa.org ) volunteer who struggled with emotional issues and thoughts of suicide when she was a teen. She has volunteered with the organization for more than five years

 The issue of suicide is a complex one and there are a lot of factors that can be involved and there is not one cause. For example, not everyone who commits suicide has a mental illness and not all people with a mental illness think about suicide but that is a common misconception people have. There are common warning signs of suicide you can look for. It is not a moral weakness, people are in a lot of emotional pain. Things like loss, trauma, addiction, physical illness, depression, life changes and family life can impact or contribute to the decision they make. How they react to these things and the intolerable pain and despair they feel can overwhelm them. Each suicide is unique in its mix of connected factors. Preventing suicide Most suicides can be prevented and there are resources that can help including a suicide prevention charity website as well as other options. There are things that should be focussed on at a national level as well as at a community level such as bette...

 Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide is dedicated to increasing awareness, saving lives and reducing the stigma of suicide through specialized training programs and resources that empower teens, parents and educational leaders with the skills needed to help youth build a life of resiliency. SPTS expert program staff are available to meet your educational and professional development needs with a comprehensive catalog of dynamic workshops and training programs for schools, community groups, professional conferences and parents. Browse our catalog or consult with our office staff for the presentation that best fits your suicide prevention charity needs. To know more about the 'Not My Kid' program visit https://sptsusa.org

 The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention states that every 12 and a half minutes an American is taking their life. Around 40,000 people die by suicide each year and it is the tenth leading cause of death and the second leading cause of death in 10 to 24-year-olds. About one million suicide attempts are made and many get misreported so in fact, the numbers are worse than that. Youth suicide prevention efforts have never been so important. September remains Suicide Prevention Awareness Month to help promote resources and raise awareness because it is still a fact that people are reluctant to talk about this and about mental illnesses like depression. Staggering facts Until there is better federal funding and resources for the problem there are places like a suicide prevention charity that can offer some resources, information and help. The staggering facts are; Around 16% of students in high school have thought about suicide seriously. 13% of those teens have come up with ...