As we learned in Module 9, depression and suicidal thoughts or actions are serious issues that affect thousands of adolescents each year. As the article states, "Within a typical high school classroom, it is likely that three students (one boy and two girls) have made a suicide attempt in the past year," with suicide being the "third leading cause of death in individuals ages 10 to 24 (Wachter & Bouck, 2008, p.66). About "17% to 29% of secondary school students seriously consider suicide" while "8% attempt suicide" (Wachter, et al., 2008, p.66). While these statistics are already shockingly high, they only go up for adolescents with high incidence disabilities. Adolescents with high incidence disabilities are more likely to have a lack of social support, due to fewer school supports and social isolation, and are statistically more susceptible to depression that their peers. In fact, the article states that approximately 50% of students who are eligible for special education services could also be diagnosed as depressed" (Wachter, et al., 2008, p.66). These risk factors mean that adolescents with high incidence disabilities tend to "think more about suicide and make more suicide attempts than their peers without a disability" (Wachter, et al., p.67). Due to these alarming correlations, it is extremely important for teachers working with students with high incidence disabilities to know the warning signs and how to properly intervene. The article suggests teachers implement preventive measures, such as school-wide programs or classroom presentations by school counselors, that can educate students on how to recognize when a peer is in trouble or can teach students "coping skills for anger, sadness, and anxiety" (Wachter, et al., p.68). However, these programs will not always be enough. The article goes on to list common signs of danger, or "indicators that a student may be going through personal difficulties and should be monitored," and imminent risk, which "indicate a need for immediate intervention" (Wachter, et al., p.68). Finally, the article lists many important and practical tips on how to address students who are considering suicide, most importantly, always "taking all threats or signs seriously, even if the student seems to be attention seeking" (Wachter, et al., p.70).
After completing the textbook reading and watching the videos in module 9 about depression and bullying, I was deeply sadden by how prevalent suicide has become for adolescents. As the textbook states, adolescence is a time of "storm and stress," when students "tend to be sensitive to criticism easily take offense at comments made by peers and family, and display inconsistent behaviors, moodiness, and often self-consciousness" (Smith, Gartin, & Murdick, 2012, p.4). For adolescents with disabilities, "these changes may be compounded by the characteristics of the individual disability" (Smith, et al., 2012, p.5). Many students with high-incidence disabilities have "social skill deficits" that can result in "difficulty in developing friendships and successful peer relationships," as well as "low self-esteem, imperfect self-awareness, and flawed self-perception" (Smith, et al., 2012, p. 12). These overwhelming social and emotional changes can often cause "anxiety, depression, or acting-out behaviors" (Smith, et al., 2012, p. 12). As shown in the article, due to all these compounding factors, adolescents with high incidence disabilities have a greater risk for depression and suicidal thoughts and actions. Because of these alarming statistics, I felt this article was a good choice for this week's blog post. Not only does the article connect closely to the reading, but also offers practical strategies and tips for handling these issues safely and effectively.
I found this article to be very practical and would recommend it to all teachers, not only those working with the special education population. The tips and strategies listed in the article to help identify students in the danger or imminent risk stages are something all educators should be familiar with. While students with high incidence disabilities may be at a higher risk for suicidal thoughts and actions, as the statistics in the videos and this article show, depression and suicide can sadly be a major issue for all adolescents. The strategies listed for addressing students who are considering suicide may seem like common sense, however, when put in such a high-risk and dangerous situation, they are things that must be kept in mind, especially for a special education teacher who may be more likely to encounter a depressed or even suicidal student. With adolescent depression and suicide being such a prevalent and alarming issue in society today, I believe training, preventative and intervention, or at the very least, reading an article such as this one, should be made mandatory for all teachers.
Smith, T.E.C., Gartin, B., & Murdick, N.L. (2012). Including Adolescents with Disabilities in General Education Classrooms. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Wachter, C. A., & Bouck, E. C. (2008). Suicide and Students With High-Incidence Disabilities.Teaching Exceptional Children, 41(1), 66-72.
I agree with how shocking the information has been this week. The number of children who are attempting to take their own lives is just astounding. Then taking into account that half the students who have learning disabilities or qualify for services are at risk for depression it really does make you want to know more about how as special education teachers we could help. In what ways could we help students deal with the stress in their lives in a safer and healthier way? I think it is important to educate everyone about depression to diminish the stigma as well as helping students to identify peers they believe may need help. There is much to do and face when talking about depression and teens especially those having to deal with social and academic deficits in addition to depression.
ReplyDeleteWow! These statistics are incredible and heart wrenching! They also make our job as special educators that much more important. The best way to deal with these issues is in a proactive way so that we won't have to deal with them in a reactive way. I really believe that loving our students, building authentic relationships with them, and helping them to achieve success in not only academics but also social and emotional realms will help to avoid these serious and sad situations that are obviously a reality for so many adolescents with disabilties.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great article choice, and I'm glad you found it helpful. I was recently at a conference that discussed mental health, and the presenters at the conference were stating that mental health training needs to become a part of the curriculum for the training of all teachers. Part of this training needs to include awareness and knowing the warning signs. The statistics and the daily news speak to the importance of providing mental health services to students. The presenters at this conference mentioned that currently, 30% of the adolescent population need some sort of mental health services; but in reality, only 1% are being serviced in the schools. I have a strong interest in the importance of mental health training, and I actually partnered with the Sertoma organization in Matteson, IL last year to learn more about mental health training. Thanks for posting this.
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