YOUTH SUICIDES   [AGES 10-17]

1. SOCIAL ISSUE OVERVIEW

1.1. Youth Suicide Rates have tapered off, except in: Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, and Idaho (Knoll, 2016).

1.1.1. Utah's youth suicides have continued to increase every year since 2011, when other rates dropped off nationally (CDC, 2011; Knoll, 2016).

1.2. Regional ranking places Utah in top 5 states for youth suicide rates (CDC, 2011; Graham, 2016; Knoll, 2016).

1.2.1. Since 2007, youth suicide rates in Utah have TRIPLED (Knoll, 2016).

1.3. Utah Youth Suicides rank 11th in the country (CDC, 2011-2105).

1.3.1. Leading cause of death among Utah youth (10-17) is SUICIDE (Roth, 2016; Knoll, 2016).

1.3.2. Among girls (ages 10-14) suicide rates are up over 200% since 2011 (Graham, 2016).

1.4. Currently 2nd leading cause of death in the United States (CDC, 2011).

2. SOCIAL CONDITIONS

2.1. Mental Health Services

2.1.1. Limited availability in both urban and rural areas of Utah

2.1.2. Lack of funding to offer community services

2.1.3. Suicide prevention programs are being developed for an all ages spectrum of community help

2.2. School Level Suicide Prevention Limits

2.2.1. Legislation needed to openly speak about LGBTQ issues with students needing support

2.2.1.1. Suicidal LGBTQ youth requesting help or referrals from their school counselors will be turned away.

2.2.1.2. Utah law will not allow the discussion of LGBTQ issues, questions, or suicide prevention for this subculture- Prohibited from sharing external referral to student or parents-even if asked for information directly (Finkead & Romboy, 2006)

2.2.2. Straight - Gay Alliance school support programs

2.2.2.1. Research shows that this type of school support program can cut suicide attempts/completions up to fifty percent

2.2.3. Additional funding for mental health services in all junior high and high schools in the state

2.3. Suicide prevention with peer counselors

3. CULTURAL BIASES/BELIEFS

3.1. "All is well in Zion" was the sentiment of  Utah's former Attorney General, Mark Shurtleff (Kinkead & Romboy,2006)

3.1.1. The overall belief of Utahans that they must be happy

3.1.1.1. Marginalization of "abnormal" people

3.1.1.2. LDS community believe that if you aren't happy it stems from living in a sinful way.

3.1.1.3. Diminishes communication with support network when feeling down to avoid looking weak

3.1.1.4. Help-seeking is seen as a weakness and inability to cope with everyday life.

3.1.1.4.1. LDS members believe they should talk to their church leaders and not mental health providers

3.2. Barriers identified by researchers as barriers to mental health and suicide prevention among youth include: seeking help shows as a sign of weakness or belief that the individual will be labeled as "mentally ill", denial, or embarrassment in admitting they may have a problem (Moskos, Olson, Halbern, and  Gray, 2007).  Utah Youth Suicide Study: Barriers to Mental Health Treatment for Adolescents. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 37: 179–186. doi:10.1521/suli.2007.37.2.179 Retrieved from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1521/suli.2007.37.2.179/full

3.2.1. Taboo & shame stigmas assigned to suicide, help-seeking, sexual identity development  (homosexuality, masturbation, premarital sex)(Curtis, 2010; Curtis, Curtis, & Fleet, 2013; Kimball, 1969; Ballard, 1987;

3.2.1.1. "Better dead, clean, than alive, unclean" (LDS Conference Report, 1942:p.89) is still the contemporary view of many Utahans in dealing with youth sexual identity issues and reconciling of their LDS faith (Ballard, 1987).

3.2.1.2. Teens who commit suicide have defects in character like weakness, homosexual, or drug addict

3.2.1.2.1. Homosexuality makes a youth 8 times more likely to commit suicide than heterosexual peers (American Association of Suicidology [AAS], 2016).

3.2.1.3. Church leaders have ranked homosexuality, masturbation, & premarital sex just below murder(Kimball, 1969:p.61-75).

3.2.1.3.1. LDS President David O. McKay stated to youth groups, "Your virtue is worth more than your life. Please, young folk, preserve your virtue even if you lose your lives"(Kimball,1969: p 63)

3.2.1.3.2. View homosexuality as a "sin of the ages" that is a symptom of a corrupt society. Homosexuality is curable like alcoholism or addiction (Kimball, 1969;pp. 69-70).

4. SOCIAL INEQUALITIES

4.1. Economic/Healthcare Inequality

4.1.1. Healthcare available to those of middle class, upper middle class, & upper class populations

4.1.1.1. More likely to gain help or intervention to prevent suicide of youth

4.1.1.1.1. Better overall health due to continuous access to care

4.1.1.1.2. Mental illness: medication, therapy treatments

4.1.1.1.3. Higher income can afford better insurance coverage including mental health services

4.1.1.2. Longer lifespan due to consistent healthcare

4.1.1.3. Tend to be happier

4.1.2. Healthcare access limited to low-income or below poverty populations

4.1.2.1. Medicaid/Medicare/CHIP limited coverage and providers

4.1.2.2. Most insurance won't cover suicide prevention help until after an attempt then only limited coverage given (Kinkead & Romboy, 2006).

4.1.2.3. No insurance, few community resources to help intervene or prevent youth suicides

4.1.2.3.1. In the stratification, these individuals have less preventative healthcare and may have health conditions that aren't known due to inability to pay for proper and continuous care

4.1.2.3.2. Untreated mental illness

4.1.2.4. Community clinics for low-income are difficult to find or utilize

4.2. Power/Religious Inequality

4.2.1. LDS/Mormons

4.2.1.1. Dominant culture; religious beliefs foundation of all laws in the state (Ferris & Stein, 2014:pp 85-86).

4.2.1.1.1. Intertwined with Utah's legislative on "moral" issues (Bernick, 2015).

4.2.1.2. Legislative Representatives in Utah majority

4.2.1.2.1. Imbalance of perception and reality

4.2.1.2.2. LDS members think that the church influence on Utah lawmakers is just right (Bernick, 2015).

4.2.2. Secular

4.2.2.1. Includes all those outside of the LDS faith

4.2.2.1.1. Under represented in legislative matters

5. SOCIAL ROLES

5.1. Bully

5.1.1. Expected to be: Sadistic, mean, angry, confrontational, normal, teasing, insecure, defiant, disrespectful, sad, violent, physically/verbally abusive to peers, maintain the social hierarchy in schools, target weaker individuals to humiliate, attention-seeking, degrade others, make kids cry, threatening, feared, & intimidating.

5.1.1.1. Bullies are as likely to commit suicide as their victims are

5.1.1.2. Influence on individual choices related to attempting/completing suicide

5.2. Parents

5.2.1. Negative: Neglectful, abusive, absent due to incarceration, death or choice, mentally ill, unstable, addicts, uneducated, foster, angry

5.2.1.1. More likely to see youth from similar parenting issues attempt/complete suicide

5.2.1.2. Less likely to notice that their child is in danger of suicide

5.2.1.3. Children from negative home life most likely to be involved with the criminal justice system

5.2.2. Positive: Loving, nurturing, involved with children, supportive, disciplinary, advocate for their children's health [mental and physical], caregiver, leadership, organized, communicative, aware.

5.2.2.1. Not immune to missing the warning signs of suicide; many parents still deny the fact that the cause of death is suicide.

5.2.2.2. More likely to seek help for their children if they suspect mental illness or suicidal tendency

5.2.2.3. In regard to losing a child from suicide, this type of parent would be most likely to publicly advocate so other parents might be able to intervene and prevent future suicides among youth in their community