Youth suicidality: What is it and what is UTHealth Houston Department of Psychiatry doing about it?
Written By: Meaghan Cowles, LCSW-S
The month of September is known as suicide awareness month and a lot of attention is brought to the topic. Youth suicidality is when a young person, typically between the ages of 10 to 24 thinks about purposefully causing their own death. Here at UTHealth Houston, suicide awareness and prevention is something that we are involved in 365 days a year. We provide education and treatment to youth and their families. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among children/adolescents/young adults aged 10-24. Research has shown that nearly 1 in every 8 children between ages 6-12 have suicidal thoughts. In Texas specifically, we lose someone to suicide every 2 hours.
Suicidality and mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression often begin in adolescence, particularly in females after they have experienced puberty. Suicide attempts are reported more frequently among females than males, but males are more likely to die by suicide, according to the CDC.
What would lead a youth to want to end their life? Several factors may contribute to these thoughts. We know that in youth, significant changes occur in the brain and body as they approach adulthood. Pressure from society, social media, experiencing trauma, difficulty fitting in with peers, academic expectations/achievements, uncertainty about the future, lack of support from caregivers and loved ones, confusion about identity, exposure to others suicidal thoughts and behaviors; all of these things and more can cause a youth to have suicidal thoughts and develop plans to end their life.
Additional risk factors for suicidality in youth include:
- Experiencing a recent loss
- Bullying
- Lack of support from others
- A psychiatric disorder, such as anxiety or depression
- Substance use/abuse
- Barriers to accessing care
- Stigma around getting help
- Access to weapons
- History of suicide attempts
- Difficulty with impulse control
UTHealth Houston has free programs that are apart of the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium that work with children and adolescents to address mental health concerns, including suicidality. Our programs and information are below:
YAM– Youth Aware of Mental Health program is an evidence-based program delivered by certified facilitators to students in the classroom setting at no cost. YAM encourages discussion of mental health topics and suicide prevention in order to help youth develop coping skills and resiliency. Visit YAMs website by clicking here
TCHATT, Texas Child Health Access through Telemedicine, is a virtual mental health program that assesses students, provides intervention through therapy and psychiatry, and assists families with connection to long term care to address more complex mental health needs. Visit the TCHATT website here to see a list of schools that participate and for more information.
CPAN, Child Psychiatry Access Network, is Texas pediatric clinicians’ free and trusted mental health resource. CPAN offers provider-to-provider consultations related to specific patients or general questions, care coordination, and training to pediatric clinicians to assist with identifying and treating mental health issues in their young patients. Visit CPANs website by clicking here
ASUD, Adolescent Substance Use Disorders Clinic, provides free specialized substance use treatment for adolescents ages 12-18 years with problematic alcohol and/or substance use. Click here for more information
BRYTE, Building Resilience in Youth after Traumatic Experiences, was established to address the mental health needs of children and adolescents. This program increases access to evidence-based assessments and treatments for youth trauma survivors. Click here for more information
If you or anyone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, it is important to get help. Dialing 9-8-8 will connect you to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.