A Systems Approach to Suicide Prevention in Northern Utah

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In late February of 2012, two students at Clearfield High School, a large public high school in Davis County, Utah, committed suicide within two days of each other. Both students were well-respected and popular amongst peers and had seen success in their academic endeavors. According to friends and family, there were no indications that either of their sons was experiencing emotional issues outside of normal adolescent development, let alone suicidality. The two students had been friends, allowing for a likely relationship between the two cases. The incident highlights several important issues surrounding teen suicide in Utah: the lack of understanding of the causes of comparatively high and increasing suicide rates, the ability of parents and mentors to recognize depression and suicidality in adolescents, and the capability of teens themselves to adjust and cope with stress and emotion.
Introduction
Utah’s suicide rates in adolescents and young adults are among the highest in the country, suicide being the second leading cause of death within the two groups (Utah Department of Health, 2013). The significance of the issue is highlighted in the Davis County Community Health Improvement Plan (2014), which lists suicide as the county’s top health priority. The specific causes of the high suicide rate in Utah are debatable and likely combinative. Research suggests potential causes such as high altitude (Brenner, Cheng, Clark, & Camargo Jr., 2011), and cultural influence and religious commitment (Hilton, Fellingham, & Lyon, 2001), among others. Many of the possible causes of the high suicidality inherit to Utah are static, unalterable characteristics of its geographical setting and demographic. These fixed factors will largely...

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...plexity of the systems towards which this program is addressed, it is difficult to distinguish a specific population. It is unlikely that there exist individuals who will not be benefited in some way by the outcomes of the program. For example, adolescents who are not at risk for suicide are likely to have friends and peers who are. Parents who do not perceive their child as being at-risk, and who may not actively seek help, may be ignorant to the reality of their child’s suicidality. As such, program activities have been designed to address the population in general, with an emphasis on adolescents, parents, and mentors. These activities will incorporate the following protective factors: family functionality and perceived connectedness, general suicide awareness and education, specialized training for parents and mentors, the encouragement of self-awareness

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