Adolescent suicide prevention: the Oklahoma community reaches out

• Published in: The Journal of continuing education in nursing Vol. 40; no. 4; pp. 177 - 180
• Main Authors: Parker, Gary, Hawkins, Jessica, Weigel, Chris, Fanning, Linda, Round, Teri, Reyna, Krista
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States SLACK INCORPORATED 01.04.2009
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior - psychology; Age Groups; Attitude of Health Personnel; Clinical Competence; Clinics; Community Relations; Community-Institutional Relations; Death; Departments; Depression (Psychology); Drug Use; Economic Status; Education, Nursing, Continuing - organization & administration; Emergency medical care; Gender Discrimination; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Personnel - education; Health Personnel - psychology; Health Services; High School Students; Hospitals; Humans; Mental depression; Mental health; Mental health care; Mental Health Programs; Mortality; Murders & murder attempts; Mythology; Needs Assessment; Nurse practitioners; Nurse's Role; Nurses; Nursing; Nursing Assessment; Oklahoma - epidemiology; Parents; Patients; Physician assistants; Physicians; Prevention; Prevention programs; Primary Health Care; Primary Health Care - organization & administration; Primary Prevention - organization & administration; Program Development; Psychiatric-mental health nursing; Questionnaires; Referral; Referral and Consultation - organization & administration; Referrals; Risk Factors; Suicide; Suicide, Attempted - prevention & control; Suicide, Attempted - statistics & numerical data; Suicides & suicide attempts; Teenagers; Young Adults; Youth; Oklahoma; United States > US
• ISSN: 0022-0124; 1938-2472
• DOI: 10.3928/00220124-20090401-08

In the United States, Oklahoma currently ranks fifth in suicide attempts and ninth in suicide completion in the 10- to 24-year-old age group. Studies have shown that many teens are seen by their primary care physician within 6 weeks of their suicide attempt or completion. Building on this finding, a questionnaire focusing on what physicians and nurses knew about the warning signs and symptoms of adolescent suicide was created and distributed to area clinics. It was found that few of the health care providers were comfortable in recognizing the warning signs and symptoms of suicide. An educational program was developed focusing on the warning signs of suicide to help health care workers deal with this troubling problem.